Transparency & Corruption, Local government, Sweden, Norway, Moldova, Armenia

Trade unions in the municipal sector have been negotiating with the SKR and Sobona employer organisations in local and regional government with differing outcomes so far. The Vision trade union, representing mainly white-collar workers has settled on the basis of a 3.3% general pay rise and commitments to a review of working hours and joint initiatives to deliver healthier workplaces. The Vårdförbundet health professionals’ union has gone to mediation mainly because it has major concerns over the employers’ proposals on working time and the work environment which it believes will mean worse

The Kommunal trade union with 350,000 members covered by the largest collective agreement in Sweden (1.2 million workers in local government) is seeking major improvements in the current negotiations. It wants to address the problem that many workers don’t understand the pay system and the criteria used to establish their salary. There are concerns that the system is arbitrary. The union also wants to see changes to working time with more worker control over their working time arrangements rather than leaving it to the discretion of management or algorithmic systems. Kommunal stresses that

The Kommunal trade union has had an initial exchange with the SALAR and Sobona employer organisations ahead of the negotiations this spring on the largest collective agreement in Sweden, covering 1.2 million workers in healthcare, schools and social services. The union wants a new wage arrangement that provides a clear link between salary and professional development. Kommunal also wants a system that achieves sustainable working hours based on annual staffing surveys and with a move away from split shifts. According to the union the current pay system is too arbitrary and seven out of 10

Fagforbundet and other trade unions in local government have negotiated a new framework agreement which updates the rules and processes regulating the relations between local government unions and employers. The agreement covers continuing discussions about the need to develop the rights of employee representatives and the framework conditions in which they operate, a review of the main agreement to identify provisions that may be out of date or no longer relevant, consideration of how the provisions are applied in practice and to assess the need for amendments. There is also a specific

The Kommunal municipal service workers’ trade union continues to negotiate collective agreements with a wide range of employers in a busy bargaining round. Workers in church and religious organisations are now covered by a new agreement running from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2025 while the agreement covering those in the sports sector applies from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2025. In both cases the pay increases are in line with the main labour market trend. In the religious organisations there will be average salary increases of SEK 1037 (€89) this year and SEK 961 (€83) next year

Negotiations over pay and other conditions between the Kommunal trade union and the Visita company that provides catering services for several hospitals have broken down. The union has announced that action by workers at many facilities will go ahead from 14:00 on 15 September unless the company returns to the negotiating table with a commitment to negotiate and particularly to address Kommunal’s proposals to support the lower paid. The union will also block any new hiring as well as implement an overtime ban. Kommunal argues that higher inflation means that it is crucial to deliver pay rises

The Kommunal trade union has negotiated a series of two-year agreements covering a wide range of workers including those working in building maintenance, sports facilities, veterinary care, animal care and training, agriculture and zoos and workplace plant services. The agreements follow the main labour market trend with a 7.4% increase over the two years, with 4.1% in the first year and 3.3% in the second. The agreement covering sports facilities provides for a specific pot for monthly increases for full-time employees of SEK 1029 (€87) in July 2023 and SEK 935 (€80) in July 2024.

Following mediation the Kommunal trade union has backed a new agreement with the Gröna Arbetsgivare employers’ organisation covering around 3000 workers in horticulture. The union had been planning strike action following the employers’ initial refusal to increase minimum wages in the agreement in line with the general labour market trend. Wages will increase by 4.1% from 1 May 2023 and by 3.3% from 1 May 2024. Minimum wages will be increased by between SEK 1330 (€115) and SEK 1350 (€117) in the first year and there will also be an additional payment in 2024.

Municipal services union Kommunal has negotiated a new two-year collective agreement with the Fastigo employers’ organisation that covers municipal and other housing and property management services. The agreement runs from 1 May 2023 until 30 April 2025. The main salary increases are on average SEK 1207 (€108) from 1 May 2023 and SEK 1035 (€92) from 1 May 2024. The minimum wage rates in the agreement will increase by SEK 1350 (€121) to SEK 26160 (€2336) in May 2023 – around 5.4% while the 2024 increase of SEK 1035 (€92) will take the rate to SEK 27195 (€2429) – an increase of around 4%

Five of the six trade unions in the LO Kommune bargaining group agreed to back the mediation proposal for municipal workers that was finally delivered on 24 May, averting strikes across the sector. The largest union in the sector, Fagforbundet, reported that the agreement would deliver increases on annual salaries of between NOK 12000 (€1165) and NOK 16800 (€1635). The settlement was ahead of that achieved in manufacturing this year, as the unions had pushed for a better deal to allow catching up on the lower settlement in 2021. The agreement also provides for increased night and weekend

The continuing demands imposed by the COVID pandemic are being addressed by municipal trade unions and employers through a new agreement setting out rules on overtime. The agreement will be applied locally if agreed between the local union and employer and provides for higher overtime rates and limits on overtime hours. Overtime rates are increased to 200% on normal days and 300% on weekends and holidays. The rates also apply to part-time workers above 20 hours a week. The agreement sets a range of daily, weekly and monthly limits to overtime hours.

The Kommunal municipal workers’ union reports that local government workers will get significant new benefits from agreements signed with the SKR and Sobona employer organisations. There will be access to more skills support and student grants to improve professional development, a substantial increase in the occupational pension and greater security for fixed-term employees who will be entitled to transfer to a permanent contract after one year rather than 18 months. A new pension agreement will apply from 1 January 2023 and Kommunal estimates that an increase in the provision of 1.5% will

Trade unions and employer organisations in public services have reviewed the impact of the crisis agreement that was negotiated to regulate pay and conditions of employees working during critical events such as natural disasters, fires and floods, pandemics or acts of terrorism. It covers approximately 1.2 million employees in municipalities, regions and municipal companies, including healthcare, care, school, infrastructure and emergency services. Initially, negotiated following major forest fires, the agreement has also been implemented during the COVID pandemic. The review found it was