On Sunday evening, it is still unclear how big the disturbances will be in connection with the train drivers’ strike against the abolition of train attendants in Stockholm’s commuter train traffic. A group of train drivers has announced a three-day wild strike, that is, without union involvement, from early Monday morning. – It is an illegal act of war given that we have a valid collective agreement and thus a duty of peace, says Joakim Sundh, CEO of MTR Commuter Trains. The conflict between the train drivers and the company MTR has escalated, and starting at 03:00 on Monday, the train drivers are expected to strike for three days if the train attendants are not brought back. The drivers, who risk damages, do not want to answer any questions but read out a joint statement on Sunday afternoon via Mathias Söder, train driver and independent spokesperson for the train drivers’ strike committee: “We demand that the decision to remove the train attendants on security duty from the trains, and replace them with cameras, immediately torn up! We thank you for all general threats against the staff from the employer, as well as direct reprisals against individual employees! We are not doing this for higher pay or other benefits – we are doing this for the safety of passengers and staff”. “One should think an extra lap” Joakim Sundh says that the strike is an illegal act of combat against the background of the collective agreement. He thinks that the train drivers should think an extra lap about what decision they will make tomorrow. – As an individual, you should think about what decision you make. We do everything we can to reach our employees and make them confident in their understanding and that it is at work you should be if you have a work shift tomorrow, he says. Hear more in the player above.
t4-general