A strike guaranteed to delay Swedish exports and imports has been cancelled at the last minute. Dockworkers and employers signed a deal which ended years of conflict.
The Swedish Dockworkers’ Union had been trying to establish a collective bargaining agreement for its members with Ports of Sweden since 2016.
Collective agreements (kollektivavtal) are a common feature of labour relations in Sweden, and regulate the relationship between employers and staff, for example through fixed wages and working conditions.
Jan-Olof Jacke, CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, described the deal as “good for both sides”.
“The agreement means that for the first time in a very long time we can have peace and quiet in the ports and look ahead,” he told a press conference in Gothenburg.