Exceptional agreement on shop steward's resignation cancelled

On 7 September 1998 the Swedish Metal Workers' Union and the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries renegotiated their earlier agreement which had meant that the local shop steward at the engineering company, Fix AB had to resign from his union position.

In July 1998, after an unlawful strike at the engineering company Fix AB, the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries (Sveriges Verkstadsindustrier, VI) and the Swedish Metal Workers' Union (Svenska Metallindustriarbetareförbundet, Metall) concluded an agreement whereby the chair of the company branch of Metall undertook to resign from this position and to refrain from acting as a trade unionist as long as he is employed by Fix (SE9808106N). The employee in question signed the agreement himself, but afterwards regretted what he had done and said that he had felt forced to sign, in order to save his colleagues from having to pay damages. The central organisation of Metall declared that the agreement should never have been concluded.

On 7 September 1998, VI and Metall met to renegotiate. The old agreement has been maintained, except for the section about the shop steward's resignation form his union post. However, he will not, as before, work full time as a trade union representative. The local trade union has promised that none of its representatives will spend more than 50% of their working time on trade union duties. This means that their duties will be shared between more people. The local branch will also be assisted by the Gothenburg section of Metall.