Unite supports Swedish Paper Union In Dispute and Blockade

Mass industrial action at Swedish paper mills

Swedish papermill workers kicked off industrial action at 62 pulp and paper mills this week after bosses failed to come up with a decent national collective agreement.

The action includes a ban on all overtime working, as well as a plant blockade to prevent contract and agency workers from coming into any mill to work.

Swedish paperworkers' union Svenska Pappers (SP) warned it would begin selective strikes at six mills that produce packaging, newsprint, printing paper and cardboard if the dispute is not resolved by April 16.

The union and Employers' Industry Association met a three-panel paper industry mediation board, but SP rejected the offer of a 22-month agreement with a 0.9 per cent increase proposed for June 1 2010 and 2.1 per cent effective June 1 2011.

The contract expired on March 31 2010 and SP has insisted that a wage increase above the Swedish cost of living must take effect on April 1 2010.

Other issues include the retiree pension scheme and that employers are not willing to boost the wages of the lowest-paid workers.

And they are also unwilling to give SP the same guarantees regarding the use of short-term contract workers and workers from employment agencies that employers in other Swedish sectors have given unions.

It was rumoured that bosses were considering lockouts at certain mills.

The union needs your support and messages of solidarity and they need it now.

Please send, in your own words, emails to Mikke Sterbeck at mikke.sterbeck.fk@pappers.se.