Northvolt does everything to survive. But instead the employees have suffered. A new shift schedule is singled out as the culprit in the drama, which results in extremely tough working conditions, Arbetet writes. – There are any number of people who have said that they are unable to stay. They feel so worn out and tired, says Victoria Hart, IF Metall’s safety representative. Forced to work on Christmas Even though the intention was for the employees to be off on the weekends, they are forced to work instead. Thus, they lose their weekly rest, i.e. the right to have at least 36 consecutive hours of leave, according to Victoria Hart. – People are finished. They can’t take it. During the shift, they are not even allowed to take the breaks to which they are legally entitled, she says. The managers have also ordered employees to work overtime during Christmas and New Year – something that breaks the agreement, says Victoria Hart. – Small managers have said that if the employees want to keep their jobs, they have to come in and work then. “It’s life-threatening” The situation has led to reports of psychosocial problems skyrocketing in the reporting system, says Victoria Hart. – Before, we had about ten notifications in two years. Now we receive notifications daily. People feel scared because they are so tired. She especially worries about her co-workers in the lab. – They work with chemicals such as electrolyte. It is life-threatening, we are terrified that something will happen to them. Northvolt’s response: “The best we could” Over email, Northvolt’s communications manager Matti Kataja writes to Arbetet that “the new schedule was developed in collaboration with the union” and that it was the best possible under the current circumstances. He also emphasized that rules regarding working hours and weekly rest have been respected, although some overtime was planned over Christmas and New Year. “Then we had to plan some overtime, because many red days affect production capacity. Rules about working hours and weekly rest are respected,” writes the communications manager. According to Victoria Hart, Northvolt is facing a critical point where the future of the company depends on how they manage the staff. – If they take care of their staff, we might actually have a chance. If we continue as we are now, bankruptcy awaits. Nothing can save the company if they don’t want to work to do the right thing.
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