On 29 April, the Association of the Swedish Engineering Industries terminated the Cooperation Agreement on Industrial Development and Wage Formation, reached between employer associations and unions in March 1997 and aiming at promoting industrial development, profitability and competitiveness. The termination was announced out of the blue at a press conference by the CEO of the Association of the Swedish Engineering Industries, Anders Narvinger, and his head of bargaining, Anders Weihe. The president of the IF Metall union, Stefan Lofven, commented: “We are surprised and consider this as strange behaviour. This is not what the Swedish industry is asking for right now. It creates uncertainty about wage formation in the industry playing a leading role in the national bargaining procedures”. While terminating the agreement, the employers’ association announced to remain open for discussions. According to Anders Weihe, “A more rational approach to wage formation is needed”. What this rational approach includes is yet unclear, though from the side of IF Metall it is assumed that more decentralisation is central.
English: message of EUCOBAN network of EMF / EFFAT / ETUF-TCL / EMCEF
For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI atwww.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2009.