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Following several mediation sessions, Unionen, the Engineers of Sweden and Klarna has reached an agreement. Klarna applies for membership in BAO, The Employers of the Financial Sector, from the 1st of January 2024, and the unions withdraw the notice on industrial action. Employees at Klarna will thus be covered by a collective agreement from the 1st of January 2024.
Klarna has not shown any intentions of changing their stance on a collective agreement. We are now increasing the pressure on Klarna to sign a collective agreement by giving notice of sympathy measures.
The sympathy measures in question means all work conducted towards Klarna by Foundever/Teleperformance shall stop, and a blockade of said work is enforced. The reason for Foundever/Teleperformance being affected is due to a large part of Klarna’s customer service being handled by Foundever/Teleperformance. A notice of sympathy measures is also given to Foundever/Teleperformance.
The goal of Unionen is to solve the conflict before a strike erupts, but if a sympathy strike actualises, that means Unionen’s members who have work connected to Klarna no longer can perform that work. A blockade of the same work means no other employee in the company can perform that work instead of Unionen’s members. Work not connected to Klarna can proceed as usual.
Notice on a sympathy strike and blockade has been given today Thursday November 2, and a potential strike on Foundever and Teleperformance may erupt on Tuesday the 14th of November at 00.00.
Unionen and the Engineers of Sweden on Thursday 26th of October issued a strike notice against Klarna. What this means is that if that if no agreement is reached, the strike notice will take effect on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 10:30 am.
Unionen and Sveriges Ingenjörer (Swedish Engineers) have been negotiating a collective agreement with Klarna since April 19th of this year.
About 90 percent of the employees in the Swedish job market are covered by collective agreements, but in the tech industry the figure is considerably lower. Unionen aims to change this. Even employees in tech companies deserve long-term stable conditions and the right to impact and influence at the workplace.
Unionen has met with Klarna on multiple occasions, but despite that, we have not been able to reach an agreement. Last week, Unionen informed Klarna that we see that we have fulfilled our obligation to negotiate.
What remains is for Unionen to consider collective action.
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CBA is Collective Bargaining Agreement (In Swedish - kollektivavtal ). It is an agreement signed between a union and an employer/employers’ organisation. It regulates the basic terms and conditions adjusted to the different industries, instead of and upon regulations in law.
In Sweden, this is a common part of work practices, with about 9/10 of employees protected by such agreement.
The CBA is a floor, not a ceiling, the employer can always increase benefits and salaries above what the CBA dictates, but never go below.
With or without a CBA in place there is never an obstacle for the company to offer great benefits like fruit, fika, flexible work place and work hours, vaccinations etc.
Klarna today offers a number of benefits that are not included in the individual contracts – and because they are not included in the contracts, Klarna can take them away at any time.
With a CBA you are guaranteed fair terms and influence, for example:
The specific central CBA that has been proposed in the negotiations is the agreement for IT with TechSverige, which can be found here.
Disputes and strikes are a last resort in collective bargaining. Our basic aim and approach is to always resolve issues through negotiation and agreement, but if we find ourselves in a situation where, despite our best efforts, we are unable to reach an agreement, industrial action is available as an ultimate means of exerting pressure that we can and, under the right conditions, do not hesitate to use.
Unionen’s chief negotiator makes recommendations regarding the need for industrial action and makes decisions on disputes.
Notice is a warning about industrial action. The Employment (Co-determination in the Workplace) Act (MBL) states that notice must be given to the other party a minimum of seven working days in advance.
A complete cessation of work, known as a strike, means that the members involved in the strike must leave their workplace and their duties for the duration of the dispute. Work equipment such as mobile phones and laptops must be left at the workplace or otherwise stored as agreed with your immediate manager.
This is industrial action taken by the employer and involves Unionen members being shut out of their workplaces. In the case of a lockout, the employer states in their notice at whom the dispute is aimed, which employees are affected, what industrial action will be taken and when it will take place. In the event of a lockout, Unionen members are not paid and must instead apply for lockout pay.
An employee who is not a member of the trade union involved in the dispute, or who is a member of a trade union organisation other than the organisation taking industrial action, has the right to refuse to perform the tasks that would otherwise have been performed by the strikers. A trade union may not urge or try to influence employees to observe neutrality, but may inform them of the existence of this right.
Yes, if you are covered by the notice to strike as a member of Unionen, you must take part in the strike. Complying with the decisions made is part of being a union member, and the right to take part in a strike without being penalised by your employer is constitutionally protected under Swedish law.
As a non-union employee, you can go on a sympathy strike and not carry out your work – this does not count as a breach of your contract of employment. However, you are not entitled to strike pay if you do not join Unionen prior to time at which the dispute breaks out.
For the industrial action to be effective, it is important that the scope of the action is respected and that even non-union employees are informed that all white-collar work has been blacked, which means that no work must be carried out. This makes it even more important for you to join Unionen in order to receive strike pay.
Instead of salary, Unionen will pay strike pay to cover the salary you do not receive from your employer during the strike.
There is no waiting or qualifying period for new members. You can become a member during the notice period, up until the time the strike breaks out, and qualify for pay. You can still join the union afterwards, but you then have no right to strike pay.
You apply for strike pay online by visiting Unionen.se and logging onto Mitt Unionen (My Unionen). It is not possible to apply for strike pay during the strike notice period but first when the strike breaks out. There, you fill in your details and submit your application by identifying yourself with Mobile BankID or BankID.
If you are unable to apply for pay via Mitt Unionen, you can do so by filling in a form at Unionen.se. After this form has been signed by the local club or regional office, you should send it in an unfranked envelope to the address indicated on the form.
Unionen’s Union Board determines the pay rules that apply to each dispute. The aim is for payments to be made before the employer makes deductions from salary.
If you are found working despite being a member covered by the strike, this will be reported as strikebreaking. Under Section 2.3 of Unionen’s statutes, a member who does not comply with the union’s values, is in violation of statutes or disregards decisions taken may be expelled following a decision by the Union Board.
The right to remain neutral in a dispute is an individual right. An employee who is not a union member or is a member of a trade union organisation other than the organisation taking industrial action has the right to refuse to perform the tasks that would otherwise be performed by the strikers. A trade union may not urge or try to influence employees to observe neutrality, but may inform them of the existence of this right.
As mentioned above, the right for trade unions to strike is constitutionally protected in the Instrument of Government. This means that you have legal protection against your employer firing you or otherwise penalising you if you take part in a strike that Unionen has decided upon.
No, your work permit is not affected by you taking part in a strike organised by Unionen.
No, and the reason is that non-union employees are also entitled to take part in a strike, even if they do not receive strike pay. The employer does not need to know who is a member and who is not.
No, employers cannot demand to know who is a member of a trade union. Workplace union representatives should immediately inform their members that they are not obliged to tell the company if they are members of a union and, if so, which.
No. You were in a current sick pay period that began on the first day you stopped working due to illness. Your employer will continue to pay your sick pay. After the 14-day sick pay period, Försäkringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency) pays sickness benefit, and you will receive sick pay under the collective agreement.
Yes. The reason is that no sick pay period is initiated during an ongoing dispute. If you are still sick when the dispute ends, the sick pay period and your employer’s responsibility to pay begins on the first day you would have worked.
If you were on full-time parental leave, you will receive your parental benefit from Försäkringskassan. If you have received/should have received parental pay during the dispute period, your employer will pay it as usual.
I was on holiday during the dispute. Will I receive any strike pay or will my employer pay me for annual leave as usual?
The employer must pay you for annual leave as usual, provided that the annual leave was planned and authorised before the dispute broke out.
Varselhandling (in Swedish)
It's time for tech employees to have secure conditions and influence in the workplace as well. It's time for Klarna to modernize and become a part of the Swedish model.
Martin Wästfelt,
Head of Negotiations, Unionen
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Unionens Industrial Action Hotline:
Phone: 08-504 151 51 all weekdays between 9.00 and 18.00 hrs. (Friday November 3rd 9.00-16.00)
e-mail: konflikt@unionen.se
As a member of Unionen you call also call your advisors in labour law and work environment. Call the advisors: 0770-870 870 weekdays between 9.00 and 17.00 hrs.
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