Salary increases of 6.4 percent over two years in the industry, and a new benchmark for a year where a total of 510 collective agreements will be renegotiated. It was the message when the parties agreed on a new industrial agreement the night before Tuesday.
– It is a reasonable level and a compromise from both parties. Then it is important to remember that it is not the entire economy’s salary agreement, but a benchmark for other parts of the labor market, says economist Fredrik NG Andersson.
No conflict -filled contract movement
He is clear that he does not see any greater risk that the large number of negotiations that will take place in the contract business during the year will be characterized by conflict.
– No, I don’t think so. It surprises me a bit anyway how smooth it seems to have been able to get this payroll agreement on site, which indicates that we will not see a conflict -filled contract movement in general.
According to Andersson, this also applies to the agreements to be negotiated in industries that have been extra severely affected by financial pressure. Including the construction and food industry.
– You will approach the benchmark and if you want to maintain your workforce you will have to do so. If you lie far below, you will not be competitive if you want competent and good staff.
Changed world situation
At the same time, he believes that a changed world situation requires a new attitude to the Swedish economic model.
– With a growing trade war, we cannot rely on the outside world to push the Swedish economic rise. We need more domestic consumption and then real wages must rise. Even for employers, it becomes good that there will be more purchasing power in households to compensate for export development.
When it comes to today’s announcement of the industrial agreement, Fredrik NG Andersson believes that it is not possible to talk about any winners or losers.
– I think you have to assume that if employers had seen this as a big problem, they would never have agreed to it. It is obvious that both sides say that you are not completely satisfied and it is part of the game, he says and continues:
– It is a Swedish compromise that is adequate. It means, as everyone knows, it is not bad or good, but everyone is satisfied and so it becomes medium milk.