The ITF is welcoming the news that a strike by members of the Swedish Transport Workers’ Union (STWU) was called off after just 45 minutes earlier this week following agreement with the Swedish Road Transport Employers Association (SRTEA) on a new contract for workers.
Industrial action, which started at noon on Wednesday 24 April (11.00 GMT), was taken after a breakdown in the latest round of labour market negotiations in the transport sector.
The new contract for port and road haulage workers has been agreed for three years and stipulates a three step wage increase.
ITF acting general secretary Stephen Cotton commented: “The wage increase is great, but more importantly than that, this new contract is also a big step forward in terms of the job security of STWU workers. It’s been agreed that when a transport company wants to take on a temporary employer for a job, although the union won’t be able to veto the use of agency workers, they will be automatically given the opportunity to negotiate and whilst those negotiations take place the agencies can’t be used.”
This marks significant progress in an area where for a long time there has been no movement whatsoever from transport companies. It is a major breakthrough for transport workers in Sweden.”
— ITF news release