Once again, Christmas is upon us with its lights and jingly bells. It is time to wrap up yet another year of NFU achievements.

2015 is the first in the two-year NFU Work Plan with its watchwords knowledge and visibility. In the spring, NFU researched and wrote its first Key Issues Paper discussing how finance can contribute to growth of jobs and the economy. To discuss on this theme, the NFU Conference 2015 was arranged outside Oslo hosting around 100 participants from the NFU member unions in addition to external guests and speakers from European institutions, NGOs, the employers and financial industry, and the research Community.

Springtime was also devoted to drafting a project proposal to investigate implementation of financial legislation in the Nordic countries. In addition, NFU held working group meetings on European and Legal affairs and arranged a study trip to Brussels with the Management Board. The spring also saw NFU stepping up its work with Nordic representation and influence within the Sectoral Social Dialogues for Bank and Insurance.

In autumn the Management Board decided to prioritise trust in finance as the key political issue for NFU in 2016. To start that work, NFU launched a survey on performance measurement systems in the Nordic financial sectors. An analysis and report is expected early 2016. In addition, preparation started for a training program for leading Nordic shop stewards, and a roundtable meeting on insurance issues was arranged for the NFU affiliates with the employers as guest speakers.

At the last Management Board meeting for the year in Reykjavik, the NFU member unions signed an agreement on union support for cross-border work in the Nordic financial sectors. The agreement is open to all unions with a collective agreement in the financial sector.

On top of all of the above the work with influencing European legislation has continued unabated. Although the pace of new legislation has dropped significantly, many issues are now in the so-called Level 2 process with the European supervisors developing the details. NFU has been there to protect our improvements and push for European rules that benefit employees, consumers, companies and society – as we will continue to be in the year to come.

Although the snowflakes have yet to start falling over Stockholm, the Christmas spirit is beginning to grab hold of the NFU secretariat. As the end of 2015 approaches I hope that all of our readers, as we intend, will close the office doors for a week or so and immerse yourselves in some well-earned time off. See you again in 2016! 

Arvid Ahrin, General Secretary

@ahrinNFU