The care strike continues. The union says no to the mediators' offer.
The employers' side says yes and claims to have made "far-reaching compromises" instead.
A door has been opened, says the chairman of the healthcare union.
It is serious that the union says no to the mediators' offer, according to Sten Nordin, vice chairman of the SKR's negotiating delegation and Sobona's association board.
This strike is affecting the general public more and more, he says.
According to the employers' side, they have agreed to a "far-reaching compromise". This includes a two-hour reduction in working hours per week for certain groups working nights.
No general reduction in working hours can be agreed upon.
We have shown that we are willing to take a step, says Nordin further, and means that one must now analyse what the union's no contains.
Nordin states that they are ready to continue the talks immediately to find a solution.
We are ready to sit down today, he says.
Quarter per day
The healthcare union is still firmly holding on to the demand for a quarter of an hour per day in generally shorter working hours for everyone. This is necessary to retain competence in healthcare, so that people do not quit or work less, according to the chairman of the Swedish Association of Health Professionals, Sineva Ribeiro.
We didn't get that, so we say no, she says.
The Swedish Association of Health Professionals simultaneously announces that they are open to continued negotiations with the employers' party Sobona, which concerns municipal companies. Among other things, Ribeiro notes that the employers' previous demands to maintain certain security requirements linked to Sweden's NATO membership are gone.
More strike warnings?
We are opening up for negotiations, the warnings remain, the strategy we will take next week, says Sineva Ribeiro.
How do you view the possibility of you being able to agree?
Now we have seen that a door has been opened, that they have removed things that we absolutely could not think of. And they have also started talking about working hours. Then we open up for negotiations, she says.
Conflict since April
The mediators presented their offer to the parties on Thursday, and the deadline was set to 1 pm on Friday.
The healthcare conflict between the union and the employers' parties, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR) and Sobona, has been ongoing since the end of April, initially with mainly overtime blockade. Since 4 June, several regions have also been on strike.
The strike was extended as recently as last week to also include Värmland.
Olle Lindström/TT
Paulina Monzón/TT
Malin Johanson/TT
Karin Rader/TT
Facts: About the healthcare conflict
On 25 April, the Swedish Association of Health Professionals' overtime blockade came into effect for around 63,000 members in the regions. The blockade was extended on 20 May to also include several larger municipalities and an additional 5,000 members.
On 21 May, the Swedish Association of Health Professionals extended its conflict warning to include a strike in five regions: Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Skåne, Östergötland, and Västerbotten. The strike came into effect on 4 June for around 2,000 people.
The strike was extended on 11 June to also include Värmland and affects an additional approximately 1,300 midwives, biomedical analysts, radiology nurses, and nurses.
