Response to interpellation 2025/26:166 on safeguarding the Swedish model
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
L safeguards the Swedish model and emphasizes that strong, independent workers' organizations are fundamental for fair representation 1 2 3 4. L argues that no legislative work is underway and that it is the court's task to determine how the law should be applied in individual cases 1 2 3. L notes that the formation of new trade unions is an expression of freedom of association 3. V considers that yellow trade unions pose a direct threat to the Swedish model by splitting the workers' collective and pressing down wages 5 6 7. V advocates for legislation to prevent employers from supporting yellow trade unions 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)
Madam Speaker! Ciczie Weidby has asked me if I consider that we have a growing problem with yellow unions, if I intend to take measures to handle the development of yellow unions in the Swedish labor market in order to safeguard the Swedish model, and if I consider that Swedish legislation needs to be adapted following the new development with the emergence of yellow unions.
I would first like to thank Ciczie Weidby for the question.
I and the government safeguard the Swedish labor market model. Strong and independent organizations on both the employer and employee side are fundamental. Such organizations exist in Sweden today.
The Act (1976:580) on Co-determination in Working Life specifies what is meant by an employees' organization, namely an association of employees which, according to its statutes, shall safeguard the employees' interests in relation to the employer. The Act's criteria need to be met for an association to be considered an employees' organization. No legislative work is ongoing in the issues in question.
Ciczie Weidby (V)
Madam Speaker! I thank Johan Britz. He has been speaking for a while now today, so I understand that it is starting to become a bit tiring for him.
Johan Britz does not answer at all the initial and for the interpellation debate completely central question that is the starting point for the entire debate. If he has no opinion or ignores the main question, he can of course lean back and refer to the fact that there are trade unions and legislation that generally state what is required to be counted as a trade union and that the government therefore does not intend to do anything.
Madam Speaker! Johan Britz also does not say what he thinks about the examples we see of attempts at yellow trade unions, whose purpose is to bypass the legitimate trade unions that already exist. I also gave examples of this in my interpellation. Does his non-answer mean that he denies the existence of yellow trade unions in the Swedish labor market? What have we, in that case, seen examples of in, among other places, Borås? Does he perhaps think that even yellow trade unions should be counted as legitimate representatives for employees?
A Minister for Employment who claims to respect and safeguard the Swedish model, with independent parties negotiating the terms for employees and employers, should probably have something more to say and not just bury their head in the sand when I bring up examples that are considered a major threat to our Swedish model. Or perhaps the Minister for Employment doesn't quite know what a yellow union is?
I now give the Minister for Employment an opportunity to actually answer the three questions I asked in my interpellation.
Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)
Madam Speaker! First, I want to assure the members that I would do nothing this afternoon rather than be here.
Independent workers' organizations are very important for workers to receive fair and independent representation for their interests against the employers. Strong, independent unions contribute to good working conditions for workers, and I and the government stand behind the Swedish model.
Ultimately, it is the court's task to determine how the law should be applied in an individual case. The member mentions media reporting where it has been stated from certain perspectives that a certain association has been a so-called yellow union. As far as I understand, however, no such question has been tested in court, and thus we have not seen any concrete data that the occurrence of so-called yellow unions would be increasing. I also believe that it is difficult for both me and the member to answer whether there is an actual development with so-called yellow unions or not.
Ciczie Weidby (V)
Madam Speaker! I am surprised by the Minister for Employment's short and rather empty answer. My impression is that the government has not quite understood what a serious threat these yellow unions actually pose to the Swedish model. It is not about a theoretical possibility or some marginal deviations, but about a very concrete and deliberate strategy from certain employers to weaken free trade union organization and bypass collective agreements in order to press down wages and conditions. What scares me most is that the government and the Minister for Employment seem to completely turn a blind eye to this development.
We know that the Swedish model exists thanks to the fact that free and independent trade unions have had the strength, the right, and the opportunity to negotiate on equal terms with the employers. If we open this door for the employer side or employer-loyal trade unions, we lose exactly that important balance that the Swedish model is built upon.
This is just a way to pretend that there is trade union representation, and it is always about pushing through worse conditions. It splits the workers' collective, undermines real negotiations and creates some kind of illusion of trade union order while the actual trade union strength is destroyed. That is why these organizations are prohibited or even heavily restricted in several countries, and that is why Sweden must do something now.
It is possible to strengthen the protection against yellow unions without restricting the freedom of association. I want to be clear about this. We must always strengthen the freedom of association. As I said, it is not about forbidding people from organizing, but it is possible to prevent employers from manipulating the organization.
We can and should legislate that employers may not initiate, finance, or in other ways support a trade union. We can set democratic and transparent requirements on the organizations that are to sign collective agreements. We can strengthen the protection for trade union activists who are subjected to reprisals when they refuse to accept yellow influence. I wonder: What is the Minister for Employment's position on these measures?
We have, as I said earlier, seen examples in several places, especially within warehousing, transport, and the gig economy. It is a direct threat. We must truly safeguard the Swedish model. Again, Minister for Employment Johan Britz: Why are you so passive in the face of this threat? Can you imagine presenting proposals that strengthen free trade union organization in Sweden?
Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)
Madam Speaker! The legislation in the field of labor law gives the parties in the labor market a large scope to negotiate and reach collective agreements.
On the employees' side, it is the employees' organizations that have been given the mandate to conclude collective agreements. As I mentioned, there is a definition in the MBL of what is meant by an employees' organization, and the criteria in that law must be met for the association to have the mandate to conclude collective agreements.
At the same time, I can state that the formation of new trade unions is an expression of freedom of association, which is a fundamental right established in our constitution and in several international conventions.
Let me also state that it is in everyone's interest that employer-controlled trade unions do not occur on the Swedish labor market. Our labor market model is based on the premise that employee organizations represent their members, that is, the employees' interests. This is a very important prerequisite for the balance between the parties.
I still feel compelled to repeat what I said earlier about that it is a court's task to decide how the law shall be applied in an individual case, and as far as I understand, no such question has been tested in court.
Ciczie Weidby (V)
Madam Speaker! I thank you for the debate, but I still want to conclude by being completely clear: Yellow unions are a direct threat. They exist only to divide the labor collective, press down wages, and weaken the free and democratic trade union organization upon which our entire working life rests.
We know that if employers are allowed to choose "their" union, there will be no negotiation left, it will just become a game for the galleries. Therefore, I am deeply concerned about the government's passivity. Instead of clearly standing up for the wage earners' rights, the question is dodged, even though we already see examples today of workplaces where yellow unions are used to avoid real collective agreements.
These are no small deviations, but rather the beginning of a development that risks dismantling one of Sweden's strongest democratic tools, namely the workers' collective strength.
The Swedish model must be actively defended, every day. It is not enough to close one's eyes when it is being undermined and wait and see what happens ahead. One must stop pretending that the threat does not exist and start acting to protect free unions, fair conditions, and a labor market built on equality, not the dominance of the employers.
Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)
Madam Speaker! I conclude this discussion by stating that I believe we have a very similar view on this, perhaps even the same.
Independent workers' organizations are central for workers to receive a fair and independent representation of their interests towards the employers. Strong independent unions also contribute to good conditions for the workers.
It is in everyone's interest that employer-controlled trade unions do not occur on the Swedish labor market. I believe we are in complete agreement on that.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.