Wage negotiations for Sweden's municipal and regional workers have reached a deadlock. The mediation period for the central collective agreement expired last week without a resolution. This has led to a significant escalation in the ongoing labor dispute.
Two of Sweden's largest public sector unions, the Swedish Municipal Workers' Union, known as Kommunal, and the Union of Civil Servants, known as ST, have scheduled a major joint press conference. The press conference is set for 10:00 Central European Time on March 30. These two unions together represent a workforce of over one million people across the country.
According to the announcement, the unions will use the press conference to reveal coordinated strike actions. The planned strikes are set to begin immediately after the announcement. The industrial action will have an immediate impact on essential public services. Schools, healthcare facilities, and public transport systems are expected to be affected from the start.
The key demands from the unions focus on securing real wage increases for their members. They are also pushing for improved working conditions, particularly for care workers. The initial wave of strikes will target several of Sweden's largest municipalities. The cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö are specifically named as the first locations to be affected by the walkout.