Conciliation service staff on strike

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

Conciliation agreementUnions' demands on governmentAfter several weeks of rallies and picketing the national confederations in dispute with the government over wages, pensions and issues such as energy prices, have agreed to join a Conciliation Commission. However, the confederations have also raised serious concerns with the government about the role of security services in intimidating trade unions leaders. The confederations have received support from the International Trade Union Confederation which has written to the government calling on it to immediately stop the harassment. [Read more

The Super and Tehy health unions have firmly rejected the settlement proposed by the conciliation committee in the current dispute in local government and health. Meanwhile, the JHL and Jyty municipal services union have endorsed the proposal. The health unions argue that the pay increases on offer are inadequate and simply don’t address the urgent staffing problems in health and social care. The unions are now considering a mass resignation to put pressure on health employers to negotiate a better deal. For local government workers, the three-year pay deal should deliver pay increases of 1.9%