The new agreement, which has been concluded between the Teachers' Association of Sweden and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), applies to over 200,000 teachers in the municipal sector.
The Teachers' Association of Sweden believes that the agreement safeguards members' rights and sees improvements regarding overtime compensation, conditions for flexible working hours, and phasing out for senior staff.
On the other hand, there is no agreement on regulating teachers' teaching time and time for preparation and follow-up work.
"We have not reached the finish line through the agreement. But we are not giving up our demands for teachers' teaching assignments. On the contrary!" says Anna Olskog, Chair of the Teachers' Association, in a press release.
SALAR has previously been unwilling to agree to a maximum number of working hours, citing an ongoing government inquiry into the matter. But with the new agreement, they agree to continue negotiating.
"It is positive that we now have a two-year agreement with the Teachers' Association of Sweden. We would have liked to have seen the issue of working hours resolved fully. But since the lawmakers' process for potential regulations of teachers' working hours is not complete, we had to find another solution", says Ulf Olsson, Chair of SALAR's negotiating delegation and Sobona's association board, in a press release.
