The Working Conditions of Tomorrow

7th of November 2019
Grand Hotel, Reykjavik, Iceland

Nordic conference on:

The Working Conditions of Tomorrow
– what are the implications for the work environment and labour markets?

In recent years, there have been major changes in the Icelandic and Nordic labour markets, which have become more complicated than ever before. In most places in the Nordic countries, the labour market is characterized by high demand for manpower, partly due to the high growth in the tourism industry and the construction industry in recent years. This has created new challenges in the labour market due to large influx of foreign labour, fixed-term employment and employees with varied forms of employment. At the same time, the age distribution of the population has changed so that there are fewer young people and more elderly people among the workforce. It is important to take these factors into account if we are to create a good working environment adapted to everyone, which also promotes well-being. Foreign employees are less informed than others about the working environment and their right on the labour market. This increases the risk of social dumping, labour crime and trafficking, which is a threat to a good working environment.

At the conference, a focus will be on the future changes in the labour market that may affect the working environment and working conditions. The conference will discuss both how to contribute to active and targeted efforts in the field of health and safety at work, and how to work across national borders to eliminate social dumping and labour crime, where companies exploit the ignorance and vulnerability of foreign employees in Icelandic and the Nordic labour market.

To uncover this area, occupational health and safety experts from the Nordic countries are invited. Emphasis is placed on representatives from working life and politicians attending the conference as well as OHS experts and labour market bodies, including the social partners.