Labour law and work environment

Everyone has a right to a safe and secure work environment. A poor work environment should never provide a competitive advantage. Companies that deliberately contravene laws and regulations to gain competitive advantages create unhealthy competition in the labour market. In the Budget Bill for 2022, the Government proposes three measures to create security in the labour market and curb work-related crime.

On Monday, Minister for EU Affairs Hans Dahlgren and Minister for Employment Eva Nordmark met with French Minister of Labour, Employment and Economic Inclusion Élisabeth Borne and French Minister of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune. The aim of the meeting was to discuss various current issues, with a focus on the EU minimum wage proposal.

In this Communication, the Government presents its work environment strategy for 2021–2025. The work environment strategy sets out the Government’s long-term policy focus in this area over the next five years.

The work environment at every workplace has a major bearing on people’s living conditions and is key to a well-functioning and vigorous labour market. The Government has adopted a new work environment strategy with a continued high level of ambition for work environment policy.

Today, Tuesday, Minister for Employment Eva Nordmark took part in a meeting with ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market.

Yesterday, the European Commission presented a proposal for a framework for adequate minimum wages across EU Member States. The Government welcomes the fact that the proposal will not impose an obligation on Sweden to introduce a statutory minimum wage or make collective agreements universally applicable.

In the Budget Bill for 2021, the Government proposes a permanent increase of SEK 30 million in the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s administrative appropriation. This will better enable the Swedish Work Environment Authority and other agencies to work in a focused and collaborative manner to continue to fight fraud, regulatory non-compliance and crime in the Swedish labour market. The Government’s proposal is based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

In the Budget Bill for 2021, the Government proposes labour market initiatives worth more than SEK 9 billion. The Government’s proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Minister for Employment Eva Nordmark has urged the Belarusian Government to fully respect workers’ rights and freedoms and to release the detained trade unionists.

The Government has adopted a bill to enable Sweden to implement the EU’s revised Posting of Workers Directive. The Government proposes a range of legislative amendments that will create more equal conditions for posted workers and domestic workers.

The Government has decided to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation for Sweden to implement the EU’s revised Posting of Workers Directive. In its referral to the Council on Legislation, the Government proposes legislative amendments that will create more equal conditions for posted workers and domestic workers. The Government also proposes tighter regulations on the notification obligation in connection with the posting of workers and an extension of the right of access for regional safety representatives.

A government assignment to eight government agencies has yielded positive results from efforts to stop fraud, regulatory infringements and criminal activity in working life. The Government now wants to use the experience gained from the assignment to help government agencies work effectively to stop criminal activity in working life.

Geneva, 10 June 2019. Check against delivery.

Listen to Minister for Employment Ylva Johansson talk about her continuing role as Minister for Employment, what challenges she sees ahead and which issue she will be addressing first.

On 4–5 April 2019, a Nordic conference on the future of work was held in Reykjavik, Iceland. The conference focused on megatrends affecting the labour market in the future.

On 22 January, the ILO’s centenary was launched in Geneva. The centenary, which will run throughout 2019, focuses on the future of work and forms part of the ILO’s long-term strategy for creating a decent and sustainable working life worldwide.

Opinion piece published in The Times of India 25 January, by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa.

Minister for Employment and Integration Ylva Johansson will take part in the signing ceremony in Madrid when Spain joins the Global Deal. This makes Spain the 100th partner, and the 20th government, to join the global partnership.

On 9 November 2018, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven met Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), to hand over the Global Deal initiative.

Everyone who can work should work. More people need to learn Swedish faster and more people who need an education to find work should take the initiative to study. In its 2018 spring amending budget, the Government is therefore investing in strengthening paths to work for more people. The Government is also providing more resources for preventive efforts against sexual harassment in working life, regional safety representatives and summer jobs for more young people.