What happens during strike?

In solidarity with the two trade unions Engineers Sweden and Unionen we have decided to take industrial action against Klarna. After months of negotiations on a collective agreement for Klarnas employees there has been no progress.

In order to get a collective agreement in place members of Engineers and Unionen are going on strike and will therefore not do any work as of 10:30am on November 7th. This will go into effect if an agreement with Klarna is not reached within that timeframe.

Akademikerförbundet SSR and our members at Klarna will also go on strike under the same terms as the Engineers but starting on November 8th at 12pm. We hope that an agreement is reached before then but if not

What does a strike mean?

In this case it means that all Akademikerförbundet SSR members working at Klarna Bank AB are included and that none of these members shall or are allowed to perform any work.

What does your members say?

Many our members are positive towards a collective bargaining agreement with the opportunities of transparency and influence the agreement brings. Employees at Klarna should not accept worse terms than at other companies in the same sector. 

Why did Akademikerförbundet SSR feel the need to resort to action?

Since the negotiating trade unions have not been making headway in their negotiations regarding a collective bargaining agreement this is the last step. Our view is that Klarna has not prioritised negotiations and the Swedish labour market is constituted of negotiating between companies and trade unions.

As employees we are stronger in negotiations when we stand united together, therefor our union has decided to go on strike in solidarity. A collective agreement would also include our members.

Our hope is that we can find an agreement so that a labour market conflict will not be necessary.

Which actions will be taken and how will they affect the employees at the company and your members?

If we do not reach an agreement, our members will be going on strike on the 8th of November. The strike includes all of Akademikerförbundet SSRs members and means that none of these members shall or are allowed to perform work tasks. As a member Akademikerförbundet SSR you are entitled to full compensation during the strike.

Who are entitled to compensation? 

All who are members in the union working at Klarna before the strike breaks out are entitled to full compensation for loss of income. If you work at Klarna and are not yet a member you can easily apply for membership but be sure to do it before the strike breaks out.
Apply for membership here: Become a member.

Can I work remotely during the labour market conflict? 

No, the strike covers all work, including remote work, via computer, by phone or similar.

Am I allowed to work despite being covered be the strike? 

If you work despite the strike being in effect, you risk being expelled from the union and your employer risks being in breach of the rules governing labour market conflicts, which might mean being liable for damages. According to the statutes of the union, you as a member have an obligation of loyalty towards the union and to respect the decisions that the union might make regarding, for instance, industrial action.

A member who does not go on strike despite being included will most likely be deemed disloyal to the union and be expelled. Before such measures are taken, the member who is suggested to be expelled shall be offered an opportunity to voice his or her opinion on the matter.

Is anyone exempted during a labour market conflict? 

Which white-collar employees who might be exempted from the industrial action is determined by the union. The Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, Assistant to the Managing Director and Head of Human Resources are normally exempted, together with white-collar employees on annual leave, compensatory leave, serves abroad or serves as a company board representative on behalf of the union.

Until any exemptions are applied, you are still covered by the industrial action. During any time when you are not covered by the industrial action, you receive regular pay from the company. If you have questions on if you are going to be exempted or ask to be send an email to mikael.smeds@akademssr.se.

The employer must also apply for exemptions from the union.

Can an employer hire consultants and contractors during a labour market conflict? 

A strike always means a ban on the hiring of new consultants and contractors in order to replace a member who is a part of the labour market conflict. It also means a ban on expanding the existing consultants and contractors’ current assignments.

What does the strike pay amount to? 

You receive full compensation starting from the first day a strike or lockout is put in effect.

What is compensated? 

The loss of income covered is for fixed salary, fixed salary supplements and variable pay. The value of any variable pay is based on the average sum during the latest 12-month period of any commission, salary incentives etc. The value of benefits, for example the regular use of a car provided by the company that has not been able to be used during the labour market conflict, is also covered. You can also be compensated, for example, for sick pay and parental pay that has been withheld due to the labour market conflict.

Do I pay statutory tax on my strike pay? 

No, strike pay is exempted from tax and is therefore paid out net which therefore shall correspond to the actual loss of income after tax calculated on the entire fiscal year. We calculate the compensation on a standardized basis (same for everyone) following the Swedish Tax Agency’s tax table 32.

How do I apply for strike pay? 

You can apply for strike pay using a form which can be found here. In the event we must give notice of industrial action, we will provide further information on how and when strike pay should be applied for. The ambition is that you should receive your strike pay before the employer deducts your salary.

Can a new member receive strike pay?

If the application for membership has reached the central office at the latest when the labour market conflict breaks out (i.e. when the strike is put in effect), you can receive strike pay.

On parental leave or on garden leave with retained salary? 

If the employer stops paying your salary/parental pay and refers to the labour market conflict, you can apply for strike pay from the union to cover the loss of income.

Occupational pension contributions during the strike period? 

The employer is not obligated to pay towards your occupational pension during a labour market conflict. This can mean that no contributions are made towards your occupational pension. The main principle is “full compensation” when participating in a labour market conflict. Loss of pension contributions, however, cannot be compensated on a standardized basis when paying out the immediate strike pay, due to the fact that the loss of contributions that might occur for some members will not be visible until later.

Which insurances continue to apply during a strike? 

All members that are included in the strike are covered by an accident insurance if something were to happen during the time the strike is in effect, provided you are not covered by your own accident insurance. If you work as a picket or carry out other assignments for the union during the strike you are also insured.