Specific initiatives to increase low-pay
The joint demands include focusing on low-wage groups, which means that the lowest-paid members of LO affiliates will receive an extra increment in kronor. This means an initiative that will give 50 per cent of all female LO members pay increases at individual level.
- We have shaped a joint recommendation ahead of the 2017 bargaining round. There will be coordinated negotiations on pay and joint negotiations on insurance issues.We have found a model that all LO affiliates can benefit from, says LO Negotiating Secretary Torbjörn Johansson.
We must safeguard the Swedish model
When opening the October meeting of the General Council, LO President Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson stated that we should be proud of the fact that in Sweden everyone with a full-time job can live on that income.
- But there are major differences between men in male-dominated industries and women in female-dominated industries. At least half of all women do not work full time.
To tackle the abuse of temporary employment contracts, the General Council also decided to set up a working group in which the LO affiliates together with LO are to review the entire Employment Protection Act ahead of negotiations with the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.
Other countries are interested in the Swedish model
The fact that all LO groups have experienced good real wage growth in the past 20 years has meant that other countries and large foreign companies have shown an interest in the Swedish model.
- Large foreign companies wonder how we have managed to achieve such high wage increases while retaining competitiveness, when they no longer have customers who can afford their products. The idea of the wage policy of solidarity is that the lowest wages must be increased in line with those at the top level, states Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson.
- We are very pleased that we have now agreed on joint demands ahead of the bargaining round. Together we are strong.With 1.5 million members behind us it is difficult to ignore our demands, says Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson.