Labour law and work environment

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.

On 19 April 2018, the Government appointed Nader Ahmadi as Director-General and head of SAWEE. Most recently, he was pro vice-chancellor of the University of Gävle. Mr Ahmadi will be the first Director-General of the newly established agency when he takes up his post on 1 June 2018.

The Government has decided to present the Government Bill "Contractor liability for wage claims in the construction industry" to the Riksdag. The aim is to strengthen protection for employees and counter corner-cutting and criminal activities, while safeguarding the opportunities for the social partners to regulate contractor liability in collective agreements.

As head of the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union, Lars Danielsson represents the Government on a range of important EU issues in Brussels. This work offers him an insight into the EU’s political dynamics shared by few others.

Non-official translation. Amendments: up to and including SFS 2016:1271.

One of the Swedish Government’s gender equality policy sub-goals is that men’s violence against women must stop. With reference to #metoo, the following lists some examples of implemented and forthcoming measures to counteract sexual violence, harassment and assault.

The #metoo movement in Sweden strongly demonstrates that more needs to be done to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence in workplaces and society at large. The Swedish Government requires all employers to take responsibility for a secure work environment. In the area of work environment and discrimination there are already many tools and relevant legislation, but the power and size of the petitions show that there are deficiencies in compliance with the regulations. For this reason, Minister for Employment Ylva Johansson and Minister for Gender Equality Åsa Regnér have met with the labour market and union partners, and several ministers have in recent weeks convened meetings with heads of government agencies and business leaders in order to focus on the responsibility of employers to counteract sexual violence and harassment.

Non-official translation. Amendments: up to and including Swedish Code of Statutes 2017:320.

Non-official translation.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven launches an international group of senior advisors to the Global Deal for decent work and inclusive growth. The group will give strategic advise for the future work of the Global Deal initiative.

Closing address by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, Gothenburg. Check against delivery.

Opening address by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth, Gothenburg. Check against delivery.

Opinion piece published in Svenska Dagbladet 17 November, by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

On Wednesday 8 November, the media is welcome to attend the opening hour and subsequent press conference during #EqualityWorks17 at Gothia Towers in Gothenburg, hosted by Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality Åsa Regnér. Representatives from the upcoming EU presidencies will attend and will discuss gender equality in relation to the labour market, the situation of women brought to light by the #MeToo campaign, and overall progress in the area of gender equality in the EU based on the Gender Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), released in October.

The Ministry of Employment provides non-official translations of some labour legislation.