On Tuesday, 2,000 people may go on strike unless Vårdförundet and SKR can reach an agreement.
Sweden’s Municipalities and Regions, SKR has previously said that the health care strike can pose an acute danger to life, something the Health Confederation is fighting back against.
– Our strike is not dangerous to society, I really want to say that. We know what is dangerous to society, says Vårdförbundet’s chairman Sineva Ribeiro.
On Tuesday, 2,000 members may go on strike in five regions. The strike covers seven of the country’s largest hospitals, and in a second step another 1,900 people may be put on strike. The healthcare union is clear about what is required for the strike to be called off.
– It is required that the employer meets with us regarding a reduction in weekly working hours, says Vårdförbundet’s chairman Sineva Ribeiro.
SKR: “Can lead to acute danger to life”
The negotiations have been at a standstill over the weekend and the parties will meet again tomorrow. Sweden’s Municipalities and Regions, SKR, has previously warned that the strike could be an acute danger to life.
– The five regions that have been notified of a strike assess that the consequences could lead to an acute danger to life, said Johan Kaarme, head of the health and care department at Sweden’s Municipalities and Regions (SKR) earlier this week.
“We know what is dangerous to society”
The Vårdförbundet believes that this is not true and that they are sitting on the knowledge of what is dangerous to society. No cases have gone to the board that assesses whether the strike would be dangerous to society, writes the Vårdförbundet in a press release.
– Our strike is not dangerous to society, I really want to say that. We know what is dangerous to society. It is clear that it will be felt, at the same time we know that employers around the country are now downsizing to make it through the summer at all. So that it does no more than what the employer does himself, says Sineva Ribeiro.
The basis of the conflict concerns the working hours, where the union demands a shortened working time.
– It is about the fact that we do not have a counterparty who meets our demand. During the pandemic, we were heroes, we should have better conditions. The Corona Commission showed that our groups were too few, and we see that it has gotten worse. The queues are increasing and patients are dying in the queue before they get into care, says the Swedish Healthcare Association’s president Sineva Ribeiro.