Nordic Council seeks to provide more information on cross-border employment
The Nordic Council is seeking an investigation into the establishment and long-term funding of a joint information service for employees, employers, and small and medium-sized businesses throughout the Baltic Sea region. The proposal is part of a recommendation by the Nordic Council addressed to the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The Presidium of the Nordic Council approved the recommendation at its summer meeting on 21 June.
The recommendation additionally calls on the council of ministers to implement co-operation initiatives both within and potentially outside the Nordic Region with regard to how national information for small and medium-sized businesses can be better co-ordinated and made available at a Nordic level.
More information = better labour market
“We want to safeguard cross-border labour mobility in order for supply to meet demand where it’s needed. At the same time, we want to address the challenges linked to mobility. Foreign workers risk being subjected to poor working conditions, which can lead to inequality in labour market conditions and illegal working,” says Pyry Niemi, chairperson of the Nordic Council Committee for Growth and Development in the Nordic Region.
The recommendation states that, in the long run, this could result in unfair competition between firms.
In its recommendation, the Nordic Council refers to the Baltic Sea Labour Forum (BSLF), a partnership between governments and labour market participants around the Baltic Sea which has noted that better information results in a labour market that works better as employees and companies are better informed of the rules that apply in each country. Better information will also result in safer working conditions and improved compliance with applicable legislation and agreements.
Foreign workers risk being subjected to poor working conditions, which can lead to inequality in labour market conditions and illegal working.The Nordic information service “Hello Norden” is aimed at individuals intending to move to and work in another Nordic country. Additionally there are national services within and outside the Nordic Region that provide information to companies with cross-border operations, although the information is not collated, which can make it difficult to find.
Joint portal is expensive
In light of the above, the Nordic Council is considering the possibility of a joint information portal for the Baltic Sea region. Yet the council notes that such an investment would require substantial financial resources, not least because of the number of languages involved.
The Nordic Council recommendation originated in a member’s proposal from the Social Democratic Group, which was subsequently discussed and approved by the Committee for Growth and Development in the Nordic Region.
