Who can become a member and terms and conditions

Can you become a member of Unionen?

If your workplace belongs to Unionen's organisational area, all civil servants - regardless of position, education or salary - can be members of the union. To become a member of Unionen, you must work in the private sector in one of the sectors where Unionen organises its members. Something that distinguishes Unionen from other unions is that we organise the entire workplace. All salaried employees - regardless of salary, position or academic background - can be members.

But Unionen only organises civil servants in the private sector - not construction workers, not nurses, and not civil servants employed by the state, municipality or county council.

• Common professions for members - To become a member, you must work as a civil servant, for example: project manager, engineer, administrator, economist, marketer, IT consultant, technician, manager, salesperson. This is a selection of some of our most common occupational groups - there are many more.
• Some sectors where members work - industry and engineering, commerce, IT and telecoms, media and communication, consulting and finance, pharmacy and health, construction and real estate, energy and environment.

How do I find out if I can be a member of Unionen?

Talk to your colleagues, several may already be members of Unionen and there may be a club at your workplace. Call Unionen on 0770 - 870 870 and we will answer all your questions and help you become a member.

Those with their own companies

If you run your own company without employees, you can become a self-employed member.

Read more about membership for the self-employed and terms and conditions for Unionen Egenföretagare (Self-employed).

Those who are studying

If you are studying at college or university and have not previously been a member of Unionen, you can become a student member.

Those who are pensioners

As a member of Unionen you can apply for pensioner membership when you retire.

Those who are unemployed

You can only become a member of Unionen if you work in the private sector in one of the industries that applies to (is unionised by) Unionen. But if you’re still looking for a job in the private sector we can still provide a lot of help. For example, take a look at our career and development services. And once you have a job, you are welcome to become a member.

Guest membership

Guest membership is offered to anyone who has been granted a work permit to carry out work in Sweden and who is a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. More about Guest Membership

Terms and conditions of membership

All members are covered by Unionen’s statutes. We want to draw your attention to a couple of things in particular that are brought up in the statutes.

• As a new member, you are entitled to immediate advice, and after three months you also get the opportunity to be represented in negotiations, provided that the issue arose three months after membership of the union was granted.
• Those coming straight from membership in another union do not need to wait three months for help with negotiations.
• You need to be a member of a Swedish unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa), Unionen’s or some other such fund, in order to be reimbursed from income protection insurance.
• If you want to become a member of Unionens unemployment insurance fund (Unionens a-kassa), you need to send in a separate application to join it.
• The period of notice for membership is generally as of the end of the second month after Unionen has received your written application to leave, during which time you pay the membership fee. This applies even if you are not employed. The exception is if you transfer to another trade union outside Unionen’s unionised sphere. This transition then takes place as of the end of the first month after the union has received your written application to leave. Student and pensioner members that wish to leave the union are permitted to do so with immediate effect. Please note that leaving is not possible if there is any ongoing industrial action in the collective bargaining area your employer belongs to.
• If there is a branch at your workplace, you automatically and compulsorily belong to it, and any branch membership fee must be paid. Exceptions regarding branch affiliation may be granted for managers under certain criteria. The application for such an exception is made to Unionen’s member database.

Unionen’s income protection insurance

Unionen’s income protection insurance is included in the working membership at no extra cost, but you also need to be a member of a Swedish unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa) to be able to be reimbursed by the income insurance.

Income protection insurance covers you if you are:

• A member of Unionen as an employee, manager or self-employed person
• Also a member of a Swedish unemployment insurance fund
• Not yet 66 years old

The qualifying period is 12 months.

Five insurance policies free of charge for three months via Bliwa

All new working members are automatically included in a group insurance policy with Bliwa when their membership begins, provided they meet Bliwa’s terms and conditions for cover.

Membership fee

The standard membership fee if you are working is SEK 235/month. If your income is less than SEK 25,000/month, the membership fee is lower. If there is a club at your workplace, a compulsory club membership fee may also apply, usually between SEK 5-25/month.

Become a member here.