In the Swedish labor market, there are more than 100 central parties, about half of which are employer organizations and half are trade unions, together signing around 650 collective agreements.
Not all of the Employer Alliance's collective agreements are negotiated at the same time since they apply for different periods.
A bargaining round does not have a specific start date or end at a given time. The hope is that new agreements are signed before the current ones expire, but that is often not the case.
How do collective bargaining negotiations work?
A bargaining round means it is time to negotiate the content of the collective agreement. For the Employer Alliance, it is the respective industry committee, represented by the members, that owns the agreements and prioritizes what should be put forward in the negotiations. Within the Employer Alliance, each industry has an agreement manager who sits at the negotiating table together with the relevant trade unions.
Exchange of demands
Before the collective agreements expire, the parties exchange demands, i.e., we on the employer side present the requests we want to introduce or remove in the collective agreements, and the unions do the same. From there, negotiations take place, which is a form of barter.
If the parties do not agree
During the time the collective agreement is in effect, there is a peace obligation, meaning you can expect no strikes as long as the collective agreement applies.
If the parties do not agree in negotiations on a new collective agreement, one party can take industrial action to achieve its demands, but the agreement must first be terminated. The validity and rules for terminating the agreement are outlined in the validity clause at the back of each agreement.
The most common industrial actions in collective bargaining negotiations are strikes, blockades, and lockouts.
To be lawful, an industrial action must be decided by a trade union, an individual employer, or an employer organization, and notice must be given to the counterparty and the Mediation Institute at least seven working days before the industrial action breaks out. Lost working days are the internationally recognized way to measure labor market conflicts.
In the Employer Alliance's 30-year history, we have never been involved in a strike.
Mediation
If the parties cannot agree, mediators can step into the negotiations. The mediator looks at the respective demands of the parties and presents a proposal to bring the parties closer together.
If a conflict arises
If mediation does not result in a solution, one of the parties may give notice of conflict. This usually means establishing a blockade or work stoppage within parts of an operation or alternatively for an entire industry.
When a new agreement is signed
When the Employer Alliance and the relevant trade union agree and the negotiation protocol is signed, a new collective agreement is signed. All details, including wage levels and any changes to the general terms, are communicated to the relevant members within the Employer Alliance's area.