Post by Tom on Nov 18, 2005 21:11:09 GMT
Today (18th November) further strikes have taken place in the Stockholm Metro.
A 24-hour strike on Political grounds by members of SAC (The Central Organisation of Sweden’s Workers) is taking place to protest against the inequality between public and private sector workers with regards to their rights to whistle-blow on employers. The rules for a private sector employee are much stricter than those of a public sector one in terms of what they can and cannot do. SAC’s members in the Stockholm public transport network want equal rights and protection as those employed in the public sector, which they previously had while still employed by Stockholm Transport.
The second part of the strike is for the repeal of Paragraph 39 of a Swedish employee relations law, which states that if an employee is sacked and subsequently found to be wrongly dismissed by their employer, the employer can still sack the individual but must pay damages to them. However, these damages, while often the value of a person’s salary for a few years, are counted as their income in that time and are as such taxable, and the individual cannot receive unemployment benefits until the money is used up.
As part of the day’s events, a strike on the Metro system started at 0430 this morning for 24 hours and a strike on the Pendeltåg (commuter lines) started at 0700. As part of this, many members of the larger union SEKO, who represent Service and Communication workers across Sweden, have carried out wildcat sympathy actions as part of their dispute with Connex about the sacking of their branch secretary Per Johansson in September for whistle-blowing about the Health and Safety practices of Connex. Part of SEKO’s programme for the day was a demonstration in Sergels Torg, a square in the centre of the City outside the central metro station along the theme of “Vi vägra hålla tyst” (We will not stay silent).
This morning on the red line 55% of drivers refused to work, on the green line 40% and on the blue line 70%. Supporter groups were handing out coffee, tea and buns to drivers outside the depots. This evening, a major Hockey match between arch-rivals AIK and Hammarby is being held at the Globen arena and the driver booked to work the special train is on Strike. Connex management have been awoken into paranoia and the Gullmarsplan train crew depot is crawling with management.
Currently train services between Sätra and Norsborg, serving the area south-west of the city are suspended and the section between Östermalmstorg and Mörby centrum is being supplemented by buses. A number of late night services will also be replaced by buses.
After industrial relations between Connex and the staff have been continually worsening for several years, today’s action and the wildcat action of a few weeks ago has reminded the management exactly who holds the power in the system. Because of this, the French government have been in conversation with their Swedish counterparts as to the problems for French businesses (i.e. Connex) in Sweden, which has lead to the Prime Minister Göran Persson stating that “Recent events may lead to a revision of Swedish employment law”.
Some clips from today’s news reports on Swedish Television can be seen at:
svt.se/svt/road/Classic/shared/mediacenter/index.jsp?d=43606&a=489990
svt.se/svt/road/Classic/shared/mediacenter/index.jsp?d=43606&a=489540
SAC – Stockholm Tram and Metro section’s website is at:
www.sac.se/fed/transport/stockholm/spar/
SEKO Club 119’s website is at:
www.klubb119.org
The Arbetaren Metro Dispute Website is at:
www.arbetaren.se/tunnelbana/
Dagens Nyheter has published some articles about today’s action at:
www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1298&a=490117&previousRenderType=6
A 24-hour strike on Political grounds by members of SAC (The Central Organisation of Sweden’s Workers) is taking place to protest against the inequality between public and private sector workers with regards to their rights to whistle-blow on employers. The rules for a private sector employee are much stricter than those of a public sector one in terms of what they can and cannot do. SAC’s members in the Stockholm public transport network want equal rights and protection as those employed in the public sector, which they previously had while still employed by Stockholm Transport.
The second part of the strike is for the repeal of Paragraph 39 of a Swedish employee relations law, which states that if an employee is sacked and subsequently found to be wrongly dismissed by their employer, the employer can still sack the individual but must pay damages to them. However, these damages, while often the value of a person’s salary for a few years, are counted as their income in that time and are as such taxable, and the individual cannot receive unemployment benefits until the money is used up.
As part of the day’s events, a strike on the Metro system started at 0430 this morning for 24 hours and a strike on the Pendeltåg (commuter lines) started at 0700. As part of this, many members of the larger union SEKO, who represent Service and Communication workers across Sweden, have carried out wildcat sympathy actions as part of their dispute with Connex about the sacking of their branch secretary Per Johansson in September for whistle-blowing about the Health and Safety practices of Connex. Part of SEKO’s programme for the day was a demonstration in Sergels Torg, a square in the centre of the City outside the central metro station along the theme of “Vi vägra hålla tyst” (We will not stay silent).
This morning on the red line 55% of drivers refused to work, on the green line 40% and on the blue line 70%. Supporter groups were handing out coffee, tea and buns to drivers outside the depots. This evening, a major Hockey match between arch-rivals AIK and Hammarby is being held at the Globen arena and the driver booked to work the special train is on Strike. Connex management have been awoken into paranoia and the Gullmarsplan train crew depot is crawling with management.
Currently train services between Sätra and Norsborg, serving the area south-west of the city are suspended and the section between Östermalmstorg and Mörby centrum is being supplemented by buses. A number of late night services will also be replaced by buses.
After industrial relations between Connex and the staff have been continually worsening for several years, today’s action and the wildcat action of a few weeks ago has reminded the management exactly who holds the power in the system. Because of this, the French government have been in conversation with their Swedish counterparts as to the problems for French businesses (i.e. Connex) in Sweden, which has lead to the Prime Minister Göran Persson stating that “Recent events may lead to a revision of Swedish employment law”.
Some clips from today’s news reports on Swedish Television can be seen at:
svt.se/svt/road/Classic/shared/mediacenter/index.jsp?d=43606&a=489990
svt.se/svt/road/Classic/shared/mediacenter/index.jsp?d=43606&a=489540
SAC – Stockholm Tram and Metro section’s website is at:
www.sac.se/fed/transport/stockholm/spar/
SEKO Club 119’s website is at:
www.klubb119.org
The Arbetaren Metro Dispute Website is at:
www.arbetaren.se/tunnelbana/
Dagens Nyheter has published some articles about today’s action at:
www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1298&a=490117&previousRenderType=6
