Swedish Economy Model
a) Describe some of the positive features about working or living in Sweden and / or Denmark;
The model that these countries fallow is related to equality of people, elimination of poverty, and an advanced social security. The way that they see it is that the right to access health care, childcare, education, and income security at an old age should be available to everyone and should not depends on income level. Besides these “rights”, the Swedish residents are permitted to many more benefits. For instance, sickness insurance covers lost salary for the duration of employee’s illness. Or paternity benefits which allows husbands/fathers to remain home after the birth of a child. Unemployment/disability insurance, parental leave, pregnancy benefits, and a five-week paid vacation are amongst the benefits offered working in Sweden/Denmark. In addition to these, workers who get laid off are trained for better jobs!
b) Summarize how the Swedes and / or the Danes managed to achieve such an enviable welfare state;
The Swedish labour movement founded the Social Democratic Party in 1889. The workers gave up demanding ownership and decided to reach political and social democracy. After 1918, when all citizens had the right to vote, the Social Democratic Party slowly built the “Swedish Model”. A contract was signed in 1938 which stated that employee’s can benefit from an “equitable share” of the income of the production, while at the same time; employers had the power in the workplace. After the war, the Swedish Model added “wage solidarity”, which was a try to diminish inequality in salary, and “active labour market policies” that made sure workers who are put out of jobs received training for better jobs.
c) How do you think that we Canadians could begin to introduce some of the innovations enjoyed by workers in the Scandinavian or Nordic countries, rather than see our welfare state further eroded? Where can we begin?
One of the biggest inequalities in
The model that these countries fallow is related to equality of people, elimination of poverty, and an advanced social security. The way that they see it is that the right to access health care, childcare, education, and income security at an old age should be available to everyone and should not depends on income level. Besides these “rights”, the Swedish residents are permitted to many more benefits. For instance, sickness insurance covers lost salary for the duration of employee’s illness. Or paternity benefits which allows husbands/fathers to remain home after the birth of a child. Unemployment/disability insurance, parental leave, pregnancy benefits, and a five-week paid vacation are amongst the benefits offered working in Sweden/Denmark. In addition to these, workers who get laid off are trained for better jobs!
b) Summarize how the Swedes and / or the Danes managed to achieve such an enviable welfare state;
The Swedish labour movement founded the Social Democratic Party in 1889. The workers gave up demanding ownership and decided to reach political and social democracy. After 1918, when all citizens had the right to vote, the Social Democratic Party slowly built the “Swedish Model”. A contract was signed in 1938 which stated that employee’s can benefit from an “equitable share” of the income of the production, while at the same time; employers had the power in the workplace. After the war, the Swedish Model added “wage solidarity”, which was a try to diminish inequality in salary, and “active labour market policies” that made sure workers who are put out of jobs received training for better jobs.
c) How do you think that we Canadians could begin to introduce some of the innovations enjoyed by workers in the Scandinavian or Nordic countries, rather than see our welfare state further eroded? Where can we begin?
One of the biggest inequalities in