Report finds high level of unionisation among immigrants

A high proportion of workers in Sweden who were born in another country are trade union members, and in some immigrant groups the unionisation rate is even higher than among native Swedes. For example, women born in another Nordic country who have been in Sweden more than 10 years have the highest rate of all, at 89%. Around 14% of members of the blue-collar LO trade union confederation were born in another country and 22% have a non-Swedish background. These are among the findings of a report published by LO in April 2004, which also looks at the situation of people from non-Swedish backgrounds in areas such as employment rates, employment conditions and involvement in unions.

In June 2001, the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen, LO), approved a 'platform to strengthen and increase the awareness of all human beings’ equal value and equal rights and militate against segregation and discrimination'. The platform was intended as a basis for concrete work to combat racial discrimination and segregation (SE0107107N). In April 2004, LO published a first comprehensive report on the integration in Sweden of people with non-Swedish backgrounds - entitled 'Integration 2004 - facts and knowledge' (Integration 2004 - fakta och kunskap), in response to calls for better knowledge and information in this area, not least national and regional statistical material.

Definitions are difficult when discussing who is and is not an 'immigrant' or similar. In the LO report, two groups are distinguished: people who were born in a country other than Sweden; and people born in Sweden who have at least one parent born in another country. These two groups are sometimes considered together in the report, when they are referred to as people with a foreign or non-Swedish background. The report does not use a definition based on citizenship. The most common basis for comparison in the report is between people born in other countries and people born in Sweden. These groups are compared with regard to employment conditions, working time, unionisation, education and involvement in unions. A chapter in the report also deals with rates of employment and unemployment among immigrants. The main findings are summarised below.

Employment rates

Swedish society today is very different than it as 30 or 40 years ago. Whereas more than 1 million people born in a foreign country currently live in Sweden, in 1960 the corresponding figure was 300,000. The present figure represents around 12% of the population and Sweden is thus among the western industrialised countries with the highest rate of immigrants in the world - only Canada and Austria have a larger share, states the LO report. Those who have immigrated to Sweden come from many countries, but the five most common countries of origin are Finland, former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Iran and Norway. During recent decades there has been a conspicuous change in the distribution of immigrants by country of origin - from the other Nordic countries, to other European countries and then to countries elsewhere in the world.

With regard to the extent that immigrants find employment, the report states that although the employment rate among people who have immigrated to Sweden has increased since 1997, there are large differences according to the country in which they were born. Those born in other European countries or countries elsewhere in the world have increased their employment rate substantially since 1997, but it is still relatively low. Especially among women there are large differences between those born in Sweden and those born in a non-European country. The latter group had the lowest employment rate in 2003, at 36%, compared with 78% for women as a whole. This represents a substantial improvement from 20% in 1997, but remains low. Among men, the pattern is similar but the rates are higher. The lowest employment rate is 47%, found among those born in a non-European country, whereas the figure for men born in Sweden is 81%.

Employment conditions

There are large differences with regard to the conditions under which immigrants to Sweden are employed. Among employed women, the differences are very noticeable with regard to how secure the employment is, according to the report. Women born in another Nordic country have an even higher rate of open-ended employment than women born in Sweden, whereas among women born in a non-European country, or in another European country who have been in Sweden less than 10 years, some 30% have temporary employment. Furthermore, so-called 'on-call employment', the most insecure type of employment, is much more common among women and most notably so among women born in a non-European country. A conclusion that may be drawn is that both country of origin and how long a worker has been in Sweden are important in this respect (SE0307105F). The same pattern is visible among men, though with lower levels of insecure work.

Union membership

A very large proportion of Swedish workers are trade union members (SE0405102N) and the same goes for those who have immigrated to Sweden. In some groups, the rate of unionisation is even higher than for native Swedes, the LO report finds. Women born in another Nordic country who have been in Sweden more than 10 years have the highest rate of all, at 89%. The lowest rate (74%) is found among women born in a non-European country who have been in Sweden less than 10 years.

The report concludes that while even 74% is high in international comparison, the group with the lowest unionisation rate is also the group with the most precarious employment conditions. The report states that since the differences in a number of areas are so large within the group of workers of non-Swedish origin, it is vital not to treat people with a foreign background as belonging to a single group.

Comparing the three main trade union confederations - LO, the Swedish Confederation of Salaried Professionals (Tjänstemännens Centralorganisation, TCO) and the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Svenska Akademikers Centralorganisation, SACO) - with regard to their share of members with a non-Swedish background, the figures for LO are twice as high for the other two confederations. The report finds that some 14% of LO members were born in another country and 22% have a non-Swedish background. The corresponding figures for TCO are 7% and 15%, and for SACO 8% and 17%.

Involvement in unions

LO conducts a regular large-scale survey of members entitled 'Voices about the union and the job' (Röster om facket och jobbet). In 2002, for the first time, respondents were asked about their background (ie Swedish or non-Swedish etc). The April 2004 report summarises the main findings.

Although there are some differences in the extent to which members with non-Swedish background hold trade union positions (eg acting as a union representative) when compared to native Swedes, the differences are smaller than one might imagine, the report states. Among women, those born in another Nordic country are more likely to hold union posts than women born in Sweden (13% compared with 9%) and much more likely than women born outside the Nordic countries (6%). Men with a non-Swedish background born outside the Nordic countries are as likely to hold union posts as men born in Sweden (15% in both groups), whereas only 8% men born in the other Nordic countries hold union posts.

When asked whether they would be interested in becoming union representatives, many respondents answered in the affirmative. As many as 37% of the men born outside the Nordic countries would consider becoming a union representative if asked. Union members with a non-Swedish background were more likely then their native colleagues to believe that unions ought to have more influence at the workplace.

A final point highlighted in the report is that LO members with a non-Swedish background read their union's newspaper at least as often as native Swedes.

Commentary

LO's goal to help make Sweden a model country for the integration of immigrants within 10 years. The positive attitude among members with a non-Swedish background towards trade unions in Sweden should be seen as vital for the union movement, says Wanja Lundby Wedin, the LO chair, says in her foreword to the report. It is seen as absolutely necessary to continue examining the public statistics from the perspective of integration. If not, the risk is obvious that 'sweeping generalizations, false notions and myths get a foothold and spread' (in the report's words). According to the authors of the report, and according to the platform on which their work has been built, LO will in all circumstances continue following developments regarding the issues referred to above. They also point to the need for statistical information and research that illustrate integration and changes that can be observed in different countries. This is vital, they say, because those involved can learn from each other. (Ann-Britt Hellmark, Arbetslivsinstitutet)