Negotiations for a new collective agreement for cabin crew in Sweden have broken down. Unless an agreement is reached, a strike will begin in Sweden on Monday morning.
The Swedish union Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet (STF) and the employer association Svenska Flygbranschen have failed to agree on a new collective agreement for cabin crew in Sweden. As a result, a strike is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 26 at 04:30.
“We’ve reached our limit, and our members are saying enough is enough. Working conditions and hours for cabin crew must be improved,” says Tommy Wreeth, President of STF.
“Employees cannot be pushed beyond what’s reasonable in the companies’ pursuit of savings and profits. The current conditions threaten both staff welfare and safety in the air.”
Cabin Crew in Denmark Must Continue Working
The strike includes cabin crew in Sweden employed by Norwegian, Bra, and CityJet. All three companies also employ cabin crew in Denmark, who are organized under FPU. These Danish-based cabin crew members must continue working as usual, says Kasper Svendsen, union secretary at FPU.
“Our members should go to work as normal. We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Sweden and encourage our members not to take on strike-affected work if companies request it,” says Kasper Svendsen.
“If any of our members suspect they are being rescheduled or called in due to the strike, they should immediately contact their local union representative, with whom we are in close contact.”
In addition to Norwegian, Bra, and CityJet, cabin crew at Sunclass, Jettime, and SAS in Sweden will also go on strike.
STF is demanding
Improved working environment, including reasonable working hours
The right to regular time off, including weekends, must be better regulated
Fair wages for fair working hours
The right for employees to switch airlines and retain their professional experience
A fair negotiation process, so that local bargaining in each airline is not restricted by the peace obligation.