News — Nordic Labour Journal

Arvika: Where EU temporary protection directive is turned into housing, jobs and schooling

(May 26, 2022) By May 2022, 12.5 million Ukrainians were fleeing the war. 5.5 million have fled abroad and are covered by the EU’s temporary protection directive. 134 of them have arrived in Arvika in Sweden’s Western Värmland, which has now signed an agreement with the Swedish Migration Board to settle refugees long term.

Nordic focus on new jobs without discrimination

(May 26, 2022) Upskilling and gender equality will be central to the Nordic countries’ labour market cooperation in the coming years.

After a couple of yellow cards – EU agreement on Swedish startup jobs

(May 26, 2022) Sweden will be able to spend 404 million euro in state support for so-called etableringsjobb – or entry jobs – for newly arrived and long-term unemployed people. That is now clear as the European Commission has approved a completely new model for encouraging companies to hire people who find it particularly hard to access the Swedish labour market.

Hopes dashed on the Finnish-Russian border

(May 26, 2022) “Parikkala is a municipality people usually drive right past,” says Mayor Vesa Huuskonen, with only a hint of humour. Parikkala is an agricultural municipality with an ageing population in South-Western Finland, right on the border with Russia. Plans for an international border crossing have been scrapped because of the changed international situation.

Border trade crisis: Zsar's luxury fashion tempts neither Russians nor Finns in Vaalimaa

(May 26, 2022) Some of the shops in Zsar Outlet Village are having closing down sales. Most offer 30 to 70% discounts on well-known brands meant to tempt Russian tourists to shop right next to the border crossing with Finland.

Parikkala goes for maids, whitefish and an unusual sculpture park

(May 26, 2022) There is an old saying that "the maids from Parikkala and the whitefish from Simpeljärvi are better than anywhere else". The maid is now a sculpture in the city centre while the whitefish is swimming in the lake. But a sculpture park with 255 concrete statues doing yoga is by far the biggest draw.

Nordics split as EU minimum wage proposal delayed

(Apr 25, 2022) Is time almost up for the proposed European minimum wage? Much is pointing in that direction. The war in Ukraine and the French presidential election has put breaks on the issue. And there is still great disagreement within the EU.

Siri starts speaking Icelandic "in 12-18 months"

(Apr 25, 2022) It is hard making small languages part of a digital environment dominated by a few IT giants. Icelandic authorities have fought to make Icelandic a part of the IT environment, which is increasingly important as more and more things are operated with our voices. Just ask Alexa, Siri and Bixby. Not in Icelandic though, they do not understand it.

The Nordic Council of Ministers' Secretary General steps down in 2023

(Apr 25, 2022) Finnish Paula Lehtomäki, who became Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019, has decided to step down in March next year at the end of her contract.

Eliza Reid – Iceland's outstanding First Lady

(Mar 25, 2022) On March the 8th, the book Secrets of the Sprakkar was published in the US after having first been released in Iceland in 2020. It deals with gender equality in Iceland, considered to be among the best in the world. Sprakkar is an ancient Icelandic word for “outstanding women”. A few of these outstanding women are interviewed in the book.

Renewed drive to fight work-related crime in the Nordics

(Mar 25, 2022) All of the Nordics have intensified the fight against work-related crime. Norway’s new government has launched what it calls a spring clean of the Nordic labour market. Sweden’s deputy Minister for Employment Johan Danielsson has been tasked with coordinating the policy, and recently visited Oslo where he met his Norwegian colleague Marte Mjøs Persen.

Another yellow card from Sweden – against platform work proposal

(Mar 25, 2022) The European Commission has yet again presented a proposal that puts the Swedish labour market model at risk. That is the view of the Swedish parliament, which has decided to hand out a so-called yellow card against the proposed directive for better working conditions in platform work, presented in December. The strains from Denmark and Finland are more positive.

Nordics showed resilience during the pandemic

(Mar 25, 2022) The Nordic countries managed well economically during the pandemic in light of the massive changes that were undertaken. In four of the five countries, life expectancy rose. Denmark spent the most money while Norway did best overall while also experiencing a baby boom.

Will the ILO elect its first female Director-General?

(Mar 25, 2022) On 25 March, the International Labour Organisation, ILO, will elect a new Director-General. There are five candidates, two of whom are women – Kang Kyung-wha from South Korea and Muriel Pénicaud from France. Both are former government ministers.

Hadia Tajik: Norway’s Minister of Labour goes after tax scandal

(Mar 25, 2022) Hadia Tajik, deputy leader of Norway’s governing Labour Party, stepped down as the country’s Minister of Labour on Wednesday after revelations she failed to pay tax for a commuter flat 15 years ago while working as a political advisor at the Ministry for Labour and Social Inclusion.