Sweden

A new report published by the Kommunal municipal workers' union and the Swedish Municipal Pensioners Association reveals that a majority of female pensioners who have retired from the sector cannot survive on the pension alone. Seven out of 10 are dependent on the guaranteed pension and on average they get almost SEK 4000 (€430) less per month than men who have retired from the municipal sector. The data comes from information on 150000 pensioners previously active in the municipal sector. The union is fully aware that urgent action is needed to improve the pay and hours of women in local

The Vision municipal services union has welcomed the decision by the Work Environment Authority to launch an investigation into the working conditions in social services. Mental health problems due to the heavy workload has been identified as an urgent problem with little scope to undertake preventive measures. Vision has produced a number of reports that show that employees in the social services have an unreasonable workload and staff turnover is high and that many social workers look to switch careers. Vision points out that its members have extensive knowledge of how to deal with the

Municipal services union, Kommunal, has published a new report that calls for a shift in the way care is provided from one based on an economic rationale to one more focused on care itself. A survey of union members found 61% saying that detailed planning had increased with just under half saying that their influence on planning care had decreased. Kommunal's report argues that a new model is possible that would have a holistic approach to the needs of the elderly and allow staff to make full use of their skills. The elderly should have greater influence over what help is given and how

The Kommunal and Vision municipal service unions commissioned a report that reveals how new arrangements for providing home care can benefit both staff and users. The report by the Forum for Health Policy describes the new approach taken in Skönsmon in the city of Sundsvall in central Sweden. Staff are given more responsibility for running the service, planning their working hours and ensuring that staffing levels are adequate. Managers have taken a step back but available to support and supervise their staff. The new system has led to less sick leave, lower staff turnover and reduced costs

Members of the Kommunal municipal union working on the buses have secured a number of improvements to pay and conditions after taking industrial action. They will get a pay increase of SEK 1732 (€195) over three years to bring them in line with similar jobs in other sectors. They have also achieved more control over their working time and shifts. There will also be greater monitoring of what happens when a new company wins a contract and employees are transferred from their current employer. Kommunal is pleased with the result, emphasising the importance for passenger safety when workers have

A new report from the Kommunal local government union says that the 14% pay gap between men and women is the same now as 20 years ago. On average women earn SEK 4400 (€500) a month less than men. Kommunal general secretary Annelie Nordström says that the best way for a woman to close the gap is to become a man! The union is calling for higher pay increases for sectors dominated by women and wants the government to ask the National Mediation service to look at the role played by industry pay norms. [Read more at > Kommunal (SW)->http://www.kommunal.se/Kommunal/Nyheter/2013/Lonerna-lika

The Kommunal local government union has submitted a claim for improved pay and conditions to private care providers. Around 30,000 members in eldercare, care and treatment activities and care services and surgeries are covered by three agreements that are valid until 31 October 2013. The union is looking for a SEK 1740 (€200) per month increase in line with the increase awarded in local government. It also wants to see more done to get temporary workers on permanent contracts and to ensure that all working time is paid time. The union wants to see measures to reduce the use of split shifts and

The Vision white-collar local government union is in the process of developing its wages policy with the aim of giving individual workers more say over their pay. The process started in the spring with a wide-ranging series of discussions involving members and non-members. A special website was visited over 14,000 times. The union wants to see all employees being paid on the basis of performance and competence while having a real influence over the payroll process. The union maintains that this kind of wage-setting process will help to reduce the structural wage gap between female-dominated

The Kommunal municipal workers' union has signed a new collective agreement with the ALMEGA service employers' organisation covering employees in home care. The agreement runs from 1 September 2013 to 30 September 2016 and provides for a minimum salary increase of SEK 1700 (€196) full-time workers, much more than the employers' initial offer. The increase is flat rate in krona increases in line with other industry agreements aimed at benefiting the lower paid. Minimum salaries for full-time workers aged 20 will rise to SEK 18749 (€2160) on 1st September 2013, SEK 19159 (€2210) on 1 September

The Kommunal municipal and health union has signed a new three-year health agreement with the KFO employers' organisation which represents mainly co-operative organisations. The agreement follow the pattern of others in the sector with a minimum SEK 1700 (€196) increase over three years for full-time workers, improved parental leave and a commitment not to require employees to work split shifts. The minimum wage previously applying to 19-year-olds will now apply from the age of 18. [Read more at > Kommunal (SE)->http://www.kommunal.se/Kommunal/Medlem/Avtalsrorelse/Avtalsnyheter/Nytt-avtal

The LO (blue collar) and TCO (white collar) trade union confederations have welcomed a ruling against the Swedish government's 2010 amendments to the country's posted worker legislation. The European Committee of Social Rights, part of the Council of Europe human rights organisation, found that the amendments infringed the European Social Charter on four counts and so the Swedish government now has to report back to the committee to explain how it intends to respond to the ruling. The confederations have called on the government to open talks on how to change the legislation. [Read more at >

A new report from the Kommunal municipal workers' union reveals the increasing demands being placed on workers providing care for the elderly who find themselves so overworked with so many staff shortages that they don't have enough time for breaks. The union warns that staffing levels are often so low that they put elderly people at risk. Kommunal is calling for minimum staffing levels on the basis of full-time, permanent workers with appropriate levels of training who can guarantee continuity of care. The current situation is so bad that is driving many workers away from the service. [Read

The Vision white-collar trade union has updated figures to show the continuing large pay gaps in certain professions. For the third year running the union has compared pay rates for economists, human resources specialists and IT technicians in male-dominated and female-dominated sectors. Vision says that these pay gaps are not only large but getting larger. In one specific comparison for two identical workers both aged 41, an economist in a female-dominated sector is SEK 17080 (€1900) per month in salary, compared to civilian economist in a male-dominated sector . That's 204,950 per year