Train drivers in the commuter train traffic in Stockholm plan to go on a wild strike for three days, starting at 03:00 on Monday night. The decision was made on Friday night during a meeting of more than 150 train drivers, according to the website organizing the strike.
The reason for the train drivers’ dissatisfaction is that the train attendants have been abolished, which means that the drivers work alone.
The Seko trade union, which organizes most of the train drivers, however, distances itself from the plans for a wild strike.
MTR contacts the employees
According to MTR, no named people have come forward as leaders of the wild strike. The company is now contacting the train drivers who are scheduled for the three days in question directly.
TT: In the contacts made so far, have you gotten an idea of how many actually plan to go on a wildcat strike?
— No, we do not have such an opinion at the moment, says Niklas Ekström, communications manager at MTR.
In an email to the employees on Saturday, MTR CEO Joakim Sundh writes, according to the strike site, that they risk having to pay damages if they participate in a wild strike without having anchored the strike with their union.
Sundh also writes that if an employee is absent from work for an extended period of time, it can be considered as refusal to work, which is grounds for dismissal.
Niklas Ekström, communications manager at MTR, confirms that an email from the company’s CEO has gone out.
— To seek contact and be able to answer questions and be there for the employees, who are partly stuck and may not feel they want to participate, but also to be able to be a source of information on this difficult issue, says Niklas Ekström.
Trying to plan
TT: What do you want to say to those who work to go on a wild strike?
— We assume that all our employees honor current agreements. We obviously want to work with them to ensure that all commuter train travelers can get around in the region and that we are involved and contribute to fulfilling this important mission.
During Sunday, MTR is trying to get an overview of whether the strike will take place, and if so, to what extent. This is to create traffic solutions for travelers.
— There is a big difference if you have to cancel things operationally, then you may have to cancel three trains in a row. If you have foresight, you can plan so that you may need to cancel every second train instead, which creates less frustration for the travelers who are going to travel, says Niklas Ekström.
On Sunday, the organizers of the strike posted a picture of the leaflets they plan to use.
The issue of train attendants in the commuter train traffic in Stockholm has been debated for several years. In 2021, it was decided that the train attendants would be replaced by cameras.