Labour law and work environment

Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the OECD Stefano Scarpetta visited Sweden on Friday to discuss the Government’s reform for improved adaptability in the labour market. During his visit, Mr Scarpetta met with Minister for Employment and Gender Equality Eva Nordmark and representatives of the social partners.

This material provides an overview of the Government’s transition package to improve long-term flexibility, adaptability and security in the labour market. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Centre Party.

The Government has decided to further enhance agencies’ collaboration to combat organised crime. To this end, the Swedish Work Environment Authority, the Swedish Companies Registration Office, the Swedish Board of Student Finance and the Health and Social Care Inspectorate will be subject to an obligation to provide information.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body elected Gilbert Houngbo as the ILO’s 11th Director-General on 25 March. Houngbo was most recently President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Prime Minister of Togo and Deputy Director-General of the ILO. Minister for Employment Eva Nordmark and Deputy Minister for Employment Johan Danielsson congratulate the new Director-General.

On 27 January 2022 the Government decided on a historic transition package to improve flexibility, adaptability and security in the labour market in the long term. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Centre Party.

Opinion piece by Minister for Education Anna Ekström and Minister for Employment and Gender Equality Eva Nordmark.

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.