The union Municipal conflict called off, new blockade against Tesla and union critical of 13-year-olds in prison. Here are five trade union news from the past week.
New blockade against Tesla
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The countermeasures against Tesla continue. This week, IF Metall announced another blockade against the electric car company’s elevators, reports Dagens Arbete. It concerns the elevator company Kone AB, which as of November 6 is shutting down all work done for Tesla. The Finnish company, which is one of the world’s largest elevator companies, has around 1,000 employees spread across the country.
Municipal conflict called off
Last week, Kommunal announced a new employment and hiring blockade for personal assistants and companions. This is because the union and the employer organization Almega Vårdföretagarna could not agree on the issue of increased overtime compensation for part-time employees.
Now they have reached an agreement and a new collective agreement is to be signed between the union and the employers’ organization.
– I can state that the bid guarantees the right of part-time employees to the same overtime compensation as full-time employees, even for privately employed personal assistants. In addition, we also get a bet on the lowest paid. It is an important step away from the idea that you can compete in welfare by offering worse conditions for the staff, says Kommunal’s union chairman Malin Ragnegård in a press release.
The union is critical of 13-year-olds in prison
Starting next summer, it will be possible to sentence children from the age of 13 to prison. The mission of the Correctional Service to establish prisons for children between 15 and 17 has thus been supplemented. Now the authority will also prepare special youth prisons for 13- and 14-year-olds. The newspaper Arbetet has interviewed Christer Hallqvist, union representative for Seko’s members in the Correctional Service, who is critical.
– We don’t have the skills for this at the moment. It is about very impressionable young people who we also have to protect. There is a risk that they will be institutionally damaged, he tells Arbetet.
AI worries engineers
A new report from Sweden’s Engineers shows that more and more engineers are using AI in their work. It also shows that more engineers are worried that AI developments will lead to them losing their jobs.
– The survey clearly shows that the use of AI has increased significantly among engineers and that more are worried about their jobs. Although not everyone will be affected, it is likely that some of the engineers will have to adjust in order to remain attractive on the labor market. Efforts will be required from the employers, politicians and the employees themselves, says Ulrika Lindstrand, union president of Sweden’s Engineers, in a press release.
Many teachers sick
The newspaper Sveriges Lärare has investigated sickness absence linked to different professions in the labor market. The review shows that more teachers are sick compared to other professions. The biggest difference is when it comes to stress-related illnesses, where the sickness rate for teachers is much higher.
Tuva Thell
