LO demands in the 2013 round of wage negotiations

Published 2012-10-19 Updated 2012-10-19

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LO demands in the 2013 round of wage negotiations and a new wage model
The LO Executive Council decided, in mid-October, to support coordinated negotiations among the LO national unions. The LO General Council will, on October 24^th, make the final decision as regards the coordination and its contents.

I am both proud and satisfied to launch such a strong coordination backed jointly by all the 14 LO national unions. This step is an evident backing of sectors which are dominated by women and low wages, LO President Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, says.

Facing the 2013 round of negotiations, the LO Executive Council suggests an uncomplicated and clear model with the following fundamental features:

- Everybody who earn less than an average industrial worker, today some SEK 25 000/month (approx. Euro 2 900), are to achieve wage increases equivalent to the amount in SEK as received by the industrial workers.

- The lowest wages in the agreement are to increase with the same amount in SEK as above.

- Those earning more than the average industrial worker will receive their wage increases in per cent.

Besides, the 2013 agreement demands include an insurance package. It would contain a new agreement insurance, an additional contribution to all employees who are on parental leave. The additional contribution is to be paid out during 180 days per child and per insured parent. The additional amount is to be 10 per cent of the wage.

The LO vision is that all wage increases, in the long run, are to rise with the same amount in SEK for all those who earn less than the average wage of all wage earners in Sweden. This implies coordinated actions with the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees) and Saco (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations). LO therefore invites to future extended cooperation on wages.

It would be convincing if LO could join the salaried employees in order to settle the structural wage differences which today are prevailing between men’s and women’s wages in the Swedish labour market, LO Negotiating Secretary, Torbjörn Johansson, concludes.