Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - V. Social Movements - 1. Labour Questions and Social politics - Labour Exchanges. By G. Huss
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v. social movements.
A great many different forms are to be distinguished within different trades,
registrary offices having been established, sometimes by the employers,
sometimes by the employees, sometimes by both parties separately or jointly. These
institutions, however, have not acquired any great importance, partly because
only some few trade organizations are strong enough to establish, in a
considerable number of places, proper offices. However, a great hindrance has been
the pronounced spirit of opposition between the organizations of the employers
and those of the employees, who in times of conflict try to use the labour
exchanges as weapon in the labour disputes.
Public labour exchanges. The above-mentioned forms of labour
exchanges have proved insufficient, and they also suffer from
inconveniences. As they also have the common fault of not bringing about a regulated
co-operation, in order to settle the supply of and demand for labour, the
authorities have intervened by establishing public labour exchanges.
In 1902, some towns — Hälsingborg and Gothenburg — started organizing
communal labour exchanges. Owing to excellent management, these offices won
confidence and support, so that a great number of cities and large places soon
followed their example. The Government having brought in a bill, the Riksdag
of 1906 voted supplies for supporting such public exchanges as have certain
qualifications and place themselves under State control. The direction of the State,
exercised by the Social Board (Socialstyrelsen) (one of the bureau chiefs of
this department is also inspector of the public labour exchanges), has
considerably strengthened and furthered the development of the public exchange.
The State has mainly aimed at ensuring that the labour exchange work
is free of charge as well as impartial, and that it is organized so as to be
of use to the whole country and to all trades. Isolated communal offices
having been formerly established in large places, now a system of län
exchanges has grown up, with which the communal exchanges are joined.
The organization of the län exchanges varies according to the
circumstances and resources of the different läns. To a central office in the
chief place in the län is generally joined a greater or smaller number of
branch offices, exceptionally also agents.
Under the direction of the State (especially at meetings arranged by the
State) uniform methods of working have been adopted as well as a system of
registration which allows of quick control and a good survey of the labour
market. The statistics gained through the offices are of great importance, not
only for their activities, but also for their knowledge of the labour market,
unemployment, etc.
By covering the expenses of correspondence, telephone, and telegrams, the
State has tried to encourage the co-operation of the exchanges in order to even
out the supply and demand for labour. To the same end, a system of lists of
vacancies, i. e. lists of vacant situations and of applicants, has been introduced.
Such lists are drawn up for every exchange (with specified statements for every
office), for the districts, and for the whole country ("the national list of
vacancies"), drawn up and distributed by the Social Board (Socialstyrelsen).
Furthermore, the State has made a grant for covering part of such losses as an exchange
may suffer by advancing travelling expences to workmen.
The development and the results of the work of the public labour exchanges
since 1906 are shown by Table 75.
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