SULF takes up the fight with Karolinska Institutet
On SULF’s initiative, Naturvetarna, (the trade union that represents natural scientists), the Stockholm Medical Association, (which represents doctors), and SULF have sent a joint letter to the board of Karolinska Institutet outlining serious criticism of the management's handling of the termination of permanent employment contracts and the way in which union representatives have been treated when they have questioned these actions.
The union representatives claim that Karolinska Institutet has deliberately failed to apply the provisions of the Employment Protection Act and disregarded the applicable collective agreements in connection with redundancy processes.
“When the trade unions pointed out these shortcomings, the state authority's representatives reportedly described the union as ‘causing trouble, making things difficult and creating chaos’ with its actions,” says Mikael Brisslert, a national officer at SULF. “Such an attitude towards the role of trade unions is astonishing, especially given that a core function of employee organisations is to safeguard and monitor the rights of their members. It is unacceptable that a state agency has not complied with the applicable regulations and rules that govern the Swedish labour market.”
In its letter, written collaboratively within the framework of Saco-S, the three unions are seeking answers about how the state agency intends to ensure compliance with Swedish legislation and negotiated collective agreements in the future.
