A strike in healthcare is getting closer. According to mediators, there are no opportunities to present a proposal at the moment.
The Swedish Nurses' Association has announced an extended strike from and including Tuesday, June 11. Mediators have spoken with the parties on Friday.
"We have had negotiations with the parties today and still see no opportunities to present a proposal that could be accepted by both parties," writes mediator Gunilla Runnquist in a text message.
According to Runnquist, it is hoped that a proposal can be presented after June 10. Whether this will happen before the strike is extended or in the morning of June 11, is unclear.
The conflict between the Swedish Nurses' Association and the employer parties Sveriges Kommuner and Regioner (SKR) and Sobona has been ongoing since April 25. The union believes that the workload is unsustainable and wants to see a reduction in working hours. From the employer's side, it is claimed that it is not possible to shorten working hours given the tough economic situation.
Last week, 2,000 members of the union went on strike in five regions: Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Skåne, Östergötland, and Västerbotten. If the extended strike goes ahead, Region Västmanland and Region Värmland will also be affected.
Later on Friday, it was announced that the strike notice had been withdrawn for Västmanland and that an agreement had been reached on exemptions for Värmland. The exemption applies to 1177 and the anesthesia and operating unit at the hospital in Torsby.
No formal negotiations are taking place between the union and SKR. SKR has demanded mediation, but the Swedish Nurses' Association says no, as it believes this would risk a poor outcome.
Mediators in the conflict have been appointed on Sobona's (the municipal employer party) collective agreement area. According to the Swedish Nurses' Association, a meeting with the mediators is scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Last week, negotiations between the union and the regions took place regarding the content of the warning. In several cases, measures deemed socially harmful have been revoked. For example, the strike notice against the hospital in Ystad has been partially withdrawn, reports P4 Malmöhus.
On April 25, the Swedish Nurses' Association's overtime blockage came into effect for around 63,000 members in the country's regions. The blockage was expanded on May 20 to also cover several major municipalities and an additional 5,000 members.
On May 21, the Swedish Nurses' Association extended its conflict warning to include a strike in five regions: Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Skåne, Östergötland, and Västerbotten. The strike came into effect on June 4 for around 2,000 people.
The new warning from June 11 means a strike for an additional 1,900 members in regions such as Värmland and Västmanland.
The warning for Västmanland has since been withdrawn, and an agreement has been reached on exemptions for Värmland.
