Lena Järpsten

The traditional Swedish "full employment" model is coming under increasing threat from a number of sources. Higher levels of unemployment, structural changes in both the public and private sector, "downsizing" and a decrease in the numbers employed in the public sector have all had an influence on

Two forest products industry (ie wood, paper etc) multinationals, the Swedish-owned Stora and the Finnish-owned Enso plan to enter into a full merger in December 1998, creating the largest company operating in the sector. The European Commission is conducting an investigation into the merger, since

Contractor, free agent, self-employed, freelancer - there are many names for people selling their competence, skills, services and labour without having an employment contract. Even if Sweden, together with Denmark, has the lowest figures in the EU (8% of the total occupied labour force compared

In May 1998, the Swedish Parliament adopted amendments to the Act on Equality between Men and Women, based on a government bill entitled /Peace for women/ (Kvinnofrid), aimed at combating violence against women. Three reports formed the basis for the bill: an investigation into prostitution; the

The 1998 bargaining round was still not entirely completed in late June 1998. Even though the parties in most sectors have agreed pay increases (SE9806190F [1]), around 700 members of the Painters' Union (Målareförbundet) are on strike - the only one so far in the bargaining round - and all the