Industrial Unionism in Sweden

1. Industrial Unionism in Sweden Case Study: IF Metall, Erik

2. Swedish labour market • 3 Confederation • SACO, 23 unions and 500 000 members • TCO, 15 unions and 1 300 000 members • LO, 15 unions and 1 500 000 members • Employers organization

3. History of IF Metall • 1888 Swedish Metall workers union • 1915 - 1948 lot of mergers • 1993 Sv. Metall workers and Miners union • 2006 Industrial union and Sv Metall workers became IF Metall

4. IF Metall organization • 350 000 members • 40 000 representatives • 52 regional offices • 12 500 workplaces • 70 % organization rate • 1.76 % membership fee in average 350 SEK • Extra fee for unemployment fund 250 SEK

5. IF Metall organization • Congress : • Supreme decision-making body • Aims and direction for the future ( 3 year ) • Every third year • 300 delegates from all over Sweden

6. IF Metall organization • Head office : • Tool for the executive board • Implement the decisions taken by the congress • Support the local organization • Labour law,negotiations,working conditions,union education,international matters,social policy and more

7. The core of the trade union !! • Collective agreements are based on a promise that we industrial workers have made to each other. This promise means that nobody will be able to force industrial workers like us to work for lower wages or in worse conditions than stipulated in the collective agreement.

8. The core of the trade union • As the same time those who are unemployed must have reasonable incomes. That is why there is an unemployment fund. It was also the trade movement that raised the demands and took the initiatives that led to other social insurance benefits we have today. All this together provides general security for all of us.

9. IF Metall Agreements • 41 national collective agreements • Regulate : • Employment,minimum wages,working hours,rules for piece-rates and monthly wages,overtime pay, insurance,holiday pay,

10. Priorities of the Executive Committee 2010 • Change of Government • Sign new national collective agreements • Recruit new members and give good information about IF Metall • Encourage new members to become active, specially young members and woman • Strengthen the organization locally and centrally, improve the dialogue and mean of cooperation

11. Priorities for IF Metall • Better working environment • Security at work during changes • Organize temporary (CAL ) workers • Training for local union reps.

12. Collective bargaining Collective agreement • Many employers in Sweden would like to avoid national agreements on wage rises so that they themselves can decide on increases and who is going to get them • Same old employer strategy all over the world

13. National collective agreements • National or branch collective agreements enable us to avoid disputes and offer our labour in return for reasonable wages and decent working conditions

14. But, national collective agreements is not enough….. • We need a close cooperation with a union friendly Labour Party so we can influens political decisions • More union reps. inside the political parliament

15. This cooperation/links have given us…. • The Employment protection Act • The Codetermination in the workplace Act • The Trade union representative Act • The Work Environment Act • Annual Leave Act • Parental leave Act

16. Equality/ Gender Has been on the top of IF Metall agenda for many years, but we need more It’s a long term union work

17. IF Metall guidelines for a more equality union • Equality is knowledge question • No individual woman problem • Union training is important, for all union repr. • Equal responsibility • Equal planes, in all level

18. Equality in IF Metall • Equality analysis of union activities plans • 30 % women in union decision-making body • Specific actions/activities for woman as a minority • Trade union is not a social club for men.