“The government is undermining the Swedish model”

The government is undermining the Swedish model
full screen Social Democrats party leader Magdalena Andersson (th) and the party’s labor market policy spokesperson Teresa Carvalho. Archive image. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

The Social Democrats demand that unions and employers be allowed into the government’s labor market policy council.

– Those who know the labor market best have had their hand called, says the party’s spokeswoman Teresa Carvalho.

The government cannot be trusted to follow the Swedish model. That’s what the Social Democrats think, who demand that the government let the labor market partners into an expert council appointed by labor market minister Johan Pehrson (L).

The council includes professors and heads of authorities, but no representatives from trade unions or employers.

– It was right that unions and employers went to the roof when they received this message, says S’s labor market policy spokesperson Teresa Carvalho.

The social partners agree to introduce so-called establishment jobs, jobs where the state covers a large part of the costs, but the government has dragged its feet. The reason is that SD brakes.

The parties have also previously agreed on the so-called readjustment study support, so that those who are in the middle of working life can retrain. But CSN’s handling is lagging due to a lack of resources.

These two examples show that the government is undermining the Swedish model, according to the Social Democrats.

– This action not only puts the transition study support in jeopardy, but also threatens the entire basis of the new main agreement, and it is hardly small potatoes, says Carvalho.

The government has also received criticism from German Bender, director of investigations for the think tank Arena Idé, and sociology professor Anders Kjellberg, who believe that if the state does not comply with agreements entered into on the labor market, something of the most Swedish thing we have is at risk.

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