It is now clear that the payment service company Klarna has agreed with the Union to introduce a collective agreement at the company. This after six months of negotiations.
Several trade unions, including Sweden’s Engineers and the Union of Academics, together with the Union had announced a strike from Tuesday if the parties did not manage to progress in the negotiations – but now the Union states in a press release that an agreement was reached on Friday evening.
The basis of the conflict has been about the union’s demand for a collective agreement, something that Klarna opposed, according to the union.
As of January 1, 2024, Klarna will be members of BAO, the banking institutions’ employer organization, and will be covered by the collective agreement between BAO and the Finance Association, Sweden’s Engineers and Akavia, the union writes in the press release.
“I am convinced that we will benefit from this agreement and that Klarna can contribute to making the Swedish model stronger from the inside.” writes Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna, in a press release.
“We welcome Klarna into the Swedish model and look forward to a good collaboration. With a collective agreement in place, we strengthen the influence of the employees at Klarna while at the same time securing the conditions,” the union writes further in the press release.
The conflict intensified after the union claimed that Klarna called for strike-breaking.
– It is completely unacceptable behavior, said the Union’s head of negotiations Martin Wästfelt earlier during the negotiations.
Around 2,000 employees work at Klarna’s headquarters in Stockholm, according to the union’s rough estimate.