A 22-year-old worker's dream job in Sweden's green industry transition turned into a payment nightmare. Tilde Rutström worked for one month at a company supplying the major industrial project Stegra in northern Sweden. Then her paycheck never arrived.
Tilde said she received no direct communication from her employer about the missing wages. A colleague later shared a screenshot from an internal company chat group. In it, a manager wrote that payments from Stegra had not been received. The manager stated they were now focused on chasing money to pay salaries.
Stegra, a major industrial player in Sweden's northern Norrbotten region, denied responsibility for the payment issues. Company press officer Karin Hallstan said Stegra pays its direct suppliers properly. Those suppliers then handle payments to their subcontractors.
Swedish trade union Seko also pointed fingers at the subcontractor rather than Stegra. Union representative Lars Nilsson called the company's claims about Stegra non-payment false. He stated four workers in Norrbotten were affected by the situation.
Nilsson described the subcontractor as a company experiencing financial difficulties. He emphasized that Stegra maintains strong cooperation with Swedish trade unions. The union representative said Stegra immediately addresses any problems they raise.
The situation highlights the risks workers face in complex subcontracting chains during Sweden's major industrial expansion. When large projects involve multiple layers of contractors, accountability for wage payments can become unclear.
Workers expecting to participate in Sweden's green industrial transformation instead face financial uncertainty. The case raises questions about oversight in subcontracting relationships within major industrial projects.
The company that failed to pay Tilde and her colleagues could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts.