What a strike means

Unionen always strives primarily to reach an agreement about the contents of the collective agreements through negotiations with the employer organisations. If this isn’t possible, the conflict option remains as a final resort.

Your working conditions should be the best they can be

Unionen is always striving to ensure that your working conditions are the best they can be, but considers it equally important to ensure that you get to enjoy your free time as well so that you can revitalize yourself.

We are also committed to make sure that you are comfortable when you decide to retire.

Employer organisations could be looking into changing the terms and conditions of employment. This creates an insecure work life, which is bad for everyone.

“Being in conflict” refers to any of several actions that the union might undertake to secure its members terms and conditions. These measures are sanctioned under the constitution. The most common action is a strike.

At workplaces with collective agreements there are agreed upon terms, for your pay, employment, working hours, holidays and much more. The agreements are jointly written between the employer organisations and trade unions which are time explicit, normally for 1-3 years.

Whenever a collective agreement expires, the employer organisations and trade unions renegotiate the terms and conditions that will apply to you at your workplace in the future.

The option of conflict – the final resort

Unionen always strives primarily to reach an agreement about the contents of the collective agreements through negotiations with the employer organisations. If this isn’t possible, the conflict option remains as a final resort. This is necessary last resort for us to be able to ensure the progress of the collective agreements and safeguard the terms and conditions of employment of our members.

As a member of Unionen you can be sure of receiving all the support you need if there is a conflict! Unionen is well prepared for a strike. We are ready with Sweden’s largest strike fund and a well-structured conflict organisation.

This is how you will be affected in the event of a strike

1. Stop work in the event of a strike

If your workplace is subject to a strike, you should halt any work for your employer. Halt all work throughout the course of the strike until you have received notification that the strike has ended.

2. You will receive strike pay

A strike does not cost you anything. You will receive the same payment from Unionen that you would have received if you had been working.

3. Step-by-step in the event of a strike

If your workplace and your role are affected by a strike notice, you will be contacted by Unionen, and the following will apply to you:

You do not go back to work; halt any work starting the day the strike breaks out.
The employer does not pay any wages/salary to you when you are on strike, but you will be recompensed in full from Unionen.
You must be contactable by phone and e-mail so you can be notified when the strike is over.
Make sure that your local branch has a private mobile number and an e-mail address they can contact you on. Also update your details on unionen.se by logging in.
When the strike is over go back to work as usual.

4. Answers to your questions

You can always contact somebody at Unionen if you have any questions. Your local Unionen representative will be found outside your workplace and at various assembly points each day for as long as a strike lasts.

You can find further information about what happens in the event of a conflict at unionen.se/konflikt.

On the Avtal 2023 site you can read about the issues Unionen is pursuing in the 2023 round of negotiations and why they are so important.

You’ll find news, the latest information and you can monitor what is happening in your industry in the negotiations with the employers.

Rules on strikes

You can never go on strike in the period when a collective agreement is still in force, since it is prohibited to strike. A strike may be called if the two parties – the trade union and the employers’ organisation – fail to reach agreement in the negotiations.

Before members may strike, the trade union must send notice of a strike to the other party, which is the same thing as warning beforehand that there will be a strike within seven working days or more if there is a failure to reach agreement in the negotiations.

In the notice the trade union indicates what type of industrial action will be employed such as a strike or an overtime ban. The trade union must also indicate which workplaces and jobs are affected.