What happened
The LO unions have not managed to agree on making a joint demand for a general reduction in working hours. The trade union Kommunal wanted to go further than other unions on the issue. Despite the disagreement within the central organization, Kommunal announces that they will pursue the issue on their own. The union demands a reduction in working hours for shift workers. Kommunal's president Malin Ragnegård refers to the fact that the industry has had such conditions for over 50 years.
Our analysis
It is in elderly care, on the buses, and in hospital cleaning that Sweden is worn out the fastest. That is where a large proportion of the country's new Swedes work with heavy lifting and split shifts. When LO backs away from shorter working hours, it is precisely these bodies that have to keep paying the price.
Politicians and employers are eager to talk about more people having to work more and longer. But no one asks what it costs to wear out the people who actually carry the welfare system. Those who make the decisions sit at desks, while shift workers are expected to hold out until retirement age without rest.
The fact that industrial workers have had reduced working hours for half a century while healthcare and care workers are still waiting shows who society values the most. Kommunal's decision to pursue the demand on their own is entirely necessary. We are not here to be worn out in silence.
Explained
LO is Landsorganisationen, an umbrella organization of 14 different trade unions for workers in Sweden. Reduction in working hours means that one is entitled to full pay but works fewer hours per week.