Independent pay agreement signed for temporary agency workers
Published: 4 December 2001
In November 2001, a new pay agreement was concluded between the Salaried Employees' Union (Tjänstemannaförbundet HTF, HTF) and the Swedish Service Employers' Association (Tjänsteföretagens Arbetsgivarförbund) for about 20,000 salaried employees of temporary work agencies. About 1,000 professional employees belonging to the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Sveriges Akademikers Centralorganisation, SACO) are included in the deal, alongside 19,000 members of HTF. In the whole temporary agency work sector, there are about 30,000 employees.
A new pay agreement for about 20,000 Swedish white-collar temporary agency workers was concluded in November 2001. Unlike earlier collective agreements for these workers, which were linked to the main agreement for all salaried employees, the new accord is an independent agreement for the whole temporary agency work sector.
In November 2001, a new pay agreement was concluded between the Salaried Employees' Union (Tjänstemannaförbundet HTF, HTF) and the Swedish Service Employers' Association (Tjänsteföretagens Arbetsgivarförbund) for about 20,000 salaried employees of temporary work agencies. About 1,000 professional employees belonging to the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Sveriges Akademikers Centralorganisation, SACO) are included in the deal, alongside 19,000 members of HTF. In the whole temporary agency work sector, there are about 30,000 employees.
Since 1994, HTF has demanded an independent agreement for temporary agency workers - earlier collective agreements, the latest in February 2000 (SE0003127N), were supplementary agreements tied to the main agreement for all salaried employees (Tjänstemannaavtalet). This meant, among other consequences, that temporary agency workers were covered by the same industrial peace obligation as other salaried employees. Once the new agreement comes into force, the temporary agency workers will negotiate entirely on their own. According to HTF, this is a valuable achievement.
The new pay agreement moves towards HTF's long-standing demand for temporary agency workers to receive a monthly salary corresponding to full-time employment. According to the agreement, the employees will receive a full monthly salary after having worked for the temporary work agency for 18 months. This regulation will come into force on 1 July 2002. The current agreement, concluded in February 2000, provides for a 'guarantee wage' of 85% of monthly pay.
From 1 April 2002, the salaries of temporary agency workers will be increased by 2.8%, and by at least SEK 250 per month. From 1 April 2003, salaries will be increased by 2.6%, again by at least SEK 250 per month. The pay agreement runs from 1 April 2002 to 30 April 2004.
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Eurofound (2001), Independent pay agreement signed for temporary agency workers, article.
