Sweden's SIF gets new deal
SWEDEN: The IMF Swedish affiliate SIF (Svenska Industritjänstemannaförbundet) signed a new three-year collective agreement on March 31, covering wages and working conditions for 110,000 white-collar workers in the metal sector.
When talks officially began on January 1, the employers' organisation proposed the introduction of a new bargaining system which would have had all wages negotiated at company level, between each individual employee and his/her nearest superior. This was rejected by the union, as was the employers' demand that the existing agreement on working conditions be optional at company level. The result is that the new agreement has exactly the same structure and is based on the same system as earlier agreements.
The main items contained in the contract include:
The agreement is valid from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2007.
When talks officially began on January 1, the employers' organisation proposed the introduction of a new bargaining system which would have had all wages negotiated at company level, between each individual employee and his/her nearest superior. This was rejected by the union, as was the employers' demand that the existing agreement on working conditions be optional at company level. The result is that the new agreement has exactly the same structure and is based on the same system as earlier agreements.
The main items contained in the contract include:
- The total value for the three years is a minimum 7.3%.
- Wage increases for the three years are 1.7%, 1.8% and 1.8% (totalling 5.3%).
- Each member is guaranteed a wage increase of a minimum 220, 220 and 235 SEK for the three years.
- A wage review shall take place at company level each year and be negotiated between the local trade union and the company. This is estimated to be at least 0.5% per year (historically the wage review has given from 1.1% up to 3.5%).
- Minimum wages shall be increased by 2.7%, 2.2% and 2.7% (totalling 7.7%).
- Regarding working time/pension, there are three options (determined by the individual member or by agreement at company level): one day extra time off, or 0.5% extra pension contribution, or 0.5% cash payment.
- The right to additional "parental leave pay" has been extended from two to three months.
The agreement is valid from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2007.
