Yesterday Sif signed a three years agreement on wages and working conditions.

The agreement covers 110.000 white collar workers in the metal sector. The collective bargaining round started officially on the 1st of January and started with a proposal from the Employers organization which was totally unacceptable to us. The employers tried to introduce a new bargaining system. All wages should be negotiated at company level between each individual employee and his/her nearest superior. They demanded that the existing agreement on working conditions should as a whole be optional at company level, etcetera. The agreement was in this sense a total failure for the employers. The agreement signed now has exactly the same structure and is based on the same system as earlier agreements.

This is the main content:
Total value of agreement for the three years is minimum 7.3%
Period of validity 01/04/04 - 31/03/07
Wage increases for the three years are: 1.7, 1.8 and 1.8 % (In total 5.3 %)
Each member are guaranteed an wage increase of minimum 220, 220 and 235 SEK for the three years
A wage review shall take place att company level each year and shall be negotiated between the local trade union and the company. This is estimated to give at least 0.5 % per year. (Historically the wage review has given from 1.1 up to 3.5 %)
Minimum wages shall be increased by 2.7, 2.2 and 2.7% (In total 7.7%)
Working time/pension There is three options (determined by the individual member or by agreement at company level)
* one day extra time off or
* 0.5% extra pension contribution or
* 0.5% cash payment
The right to additional "parental leave pay" has been extended from two to three months
Health and safety. The work on Health and Safety shall be strengthened. For that purpose a joint body representing the social partners in the metal sector shall be established. Training is a key issue. Training material shall be developed and joint training activities shall take place. High priority is given to prevent and solve the problem with those who are on the long-term sick-list.
A working group will be set up in order to examine the pre-conditions for a joint wage statistic system.