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The Swedish Trade Union Confederation

LO

The Swedish Trade Union Confederation represents affiliated unions to promote worker interests within European institutions.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Dec 2025 · Trade union business, quality jobs roadmap, subcontracting

Meeting with Gelu Calacean (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

4 Dec 2025 · Exchange on employment and social affairs policies

Meeting with Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President) and

1 Oct 2025 · Meeting to discuss the Swedish labour market model and the transition agreement negotiated between trade unions and employers in the private sector

Swedish Trade Union Confederation rejects new EU corporate rules

30 Sept 2025
Topic — The initiative establishes a single legal framework for innovative companies throughout Europe.
Message — The confederation strongly advises against creating a new corporate regime. They argue it must not allow companies to bypass existing labour laws.12
Why — This prevents companies from using the new framework to bypass employment obligations.3
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Swedish Trade Union Confederation Urges Autonomy and Social Dialogue

10 Sept 2025
Topic — This consultation concerns the updated implementation plan for European social rights.
Message — They demand respect for national labor systems and freedom for collective bargaining. National social partners must not be constrained by new EU-level legislation. Social protections should never be perceived as burdens during regulatory simplification.123
Why — Retaining national autonomy allows Swedish unions to preserve their specific bargaining model.4
Impact — Proponents of the simplification agenda lose opportunities to reduce social policy requirements.5
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Swedish trade unions urge EU to protect civic space

4 Sept 2025
Topic — The EU is developing a strategy to protect and strengthen civic space.
Message — The Confederation demands genuine social dialogue with unions and recognition of advocacy. They want flexible funding for grassroots actors and a global strategy for rights defenders.123
Why — This would guarantee their involvement in social dialogue and secure eligibility for funding.45
Impact — Governments and groups using restrictive laws or disinformation will face increased resistance.67
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Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament)

30 May 2025 · Kampen mot arbetslivskriminalitet

Meeting with Maria Luís Albuquerque (Commissioner) and

2 Apr 2025 · Savings and Investments Union – dialogue with social partners

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

6 Mar 2025 · public procurement

Meeting with Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President) and

4 Mar 2025 · Meeting with the Presidents of the Swedish Trade Union Confederations

Swedish trade unions urge EU to tackle work-related crime

31 Jan 2025
Topic — A new EU strategy aimed at promoting cross-border movement and reducing regulatory barriers.
Message — LO requests stronger regulations to combat cross-border work-related crime and worker exploitation. They propose limiting subcontracting chains and increasing the number of labor inspectors. They also want safety fines linked to total company turnover.123
Why — Stricter rules would ensure better working conditions and protect legitimate businesses from unfair competition.4
Impact — Criminal entrepreneurs and disreputable firms would find it harder to exploit workers across borders.5
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Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Jan 2025 · Förslaget om inrättandet av en EU Talangreserv

Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

20 Nov 2024 · Offentlig upphandling och kampen mot arbetslivskriminalitet

Meeting with Li Andersson (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

19 Nov 2024 · Labour market politics

Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF BUILDING AND WOODWORKERS

18 Nov 2024 · Kampen mot arbetslivskriminalitet

Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament) and Confederation of Swedish Enterprise

5 Nov 2024 · Industrivarsel och omställningsfrågor

Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Arbetsmarknadspolitik under mandatperioden

Swedish unions demand social dialogue in digital infrastructure plan

27 Jun 2024
Topic — A consultation on Europe's digital infrastructure needs and future connectivity strategies.
Message — The organization calls for integrating social dialogue and appropriate working conditions into the policy framework. They emphasize that the labor market model must prevent state interference in wages. Furthermore, sustainability initiatives should address the work environment and risks of new technology.123
Why — This would safeguard the Swedish collective bargaining model and ensure worker safety during transitions.4
Impact — Proponents of pure market deregulation would see their influence weakened by social requirements.5
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Swedish Trade Union Confederation Urges Stronger CETA Labor Protections

25 Apr 2024
Topic — An evaluation of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the EU-Canada trade agreement.
Message — Sustainability chapters must be treated as an integrated part of trade agreements. Impact assessments are needed that take a holistic perspective including social and cultural aspects. Creative solutions are required to ensure work under decent conditions during green transitions.123
Why — This would increase the trade union's influence in monitoring and implementing international agreements.4
Impact — Companies relying on lower labor standards would face higher costs and stricter enforcement.5
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Meeting with Abir Al-Sahlani (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and The Adecco Group

30 Jan 2024 · EU Talent Pool

Meeting with Ilan De Basso (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Jan 2024 · Möte om ramverk för tillgång till finansiella data

Response to 2024 Evaluation of the European Labour Authority

20 Dec 2023

A general reflection on the ELA is that it is a young authority and therefore should be allowed more time to perform and improve on its current duties to a satisfactory level before there is any point in burdening it with new ones. ELA was also founded during the pandemic, which was a time when practically all cross-border activity within the EU was suspended. LO believes that the current mandate of the ELA is in line with what we perceive as the role of the authority. That is, a role where ELA works as a coordinator and information hub in cross border activities. To extend ELAs mandate further than this is combined with a great deal of risk and is also premature, from LOs point of view. As such, we do see a need for a more comprehensive information hub within the ELA, in order to provide member states and social partners with vital information about agents operating in cross-border situations. We believe that there could be great advantages in honing ELAs capability to supply information to various actors that request due diligence background information. To conclude, LO believes that the ELA should be given more time perform its current duties before any big changes in its mandate is made.
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Meeting with Ylva Johansson (Commissioner) and

8 Nov 2023 · Climate Labour Migration

Response to Proposal for a Directive on cross-border activities of associations

5 Oct 2023

LO har inte haft möjlighet att granska förslaget i sin helhet utan begränsar sina synpunkter till följande. Enligt förslaget undantas fackföreningar från regleringens tillämpningsområde. LO tillstyrker detta. Det bör noga bevakas under förhandlingen att undantaget kvarstår. LO vill framhålla vikten att det inte antas någon EU-lagstiftning som påverkar ideella föreningar i form av fackföreningar. LO noterar att EU-kommissionen i inledningen till förslaget förklarar att direktivet inte avser reglera vissa delar, exempelvis skattefrågor och arbetsrätt (employment law). LO delar den synen, men konstaterar att det slags organisation som direktivet avser etablera också kan komma att utgöra arbetsgivare och då måste respektera de rättigheter och skyldigheter som detta medför enligt såväl nationell som europeisk rätt.
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Meeting with Ilan De Basso (Member of the European Parliament) and Danish Trade Union Confederation EU Office

14 Jun 2023 · Meeting

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

4 May 2023 · Discussion on employment and social policies

Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and Brussels Office of the Swedish Trade Unions and

25 Apr 2023 · Future EU-legislative proposal and collective agreements

Meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis (Executive Vice-President) and Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and

10 Mar 2023 · Social dialogue, EU policies in the employment and social area

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

5 Dec 2022 · General discussion on the employment and social agenda and preparation of the Swedish Presidency of the EU. State of play of the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council on the Platform workers directive.

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

28 Oct 2022 · Directive on platform work and social dialogue initiative.

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and Tjänstemännens centralorganisation

21 Sept 2022 · forthcoming proposal on strengthening social dialogue in the Member States

Swedish Trade Union Confederation urges total forced labor ban

20 Jun 2022
Topic — This consultation addresses a proposed EU ban on products made with forced labor.
Message — The organization calls for a horizontal ban on all products, including those transported with forced labor. There should be no exemptions for small businesses or any supply chain tiers. Authorities should detain suspect goods until importers prove the absence of forced labor.123
Why — This empowers unions by structurally involving them in the initiative's enforcement and implementation.45
Impact — Importers and companies face significant fines and seizure of goods for labor violations.67
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Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and Brussels Office of the Swedish Trade Unions

22 Apr 2022 · social dialogue, minimum wage, platform work

Swedish Trade Union Confederation urges respect for national competence

1 Apr 2022
Topic — The consultation focuses on revising EU frameworks for adequate and accessible minimum income.
Message — LO supports strengthening social safety nets while ensuring the proposal remains a non-binding recommendation. They insist that EU rules should not interfere with national systems based on income-loss principles.12
Why — This protects the organization's existing social security model from prescriptive European requirements.3
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Response to Strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women through pay transparency

28 Apr 2021

Såvitt avser förslaget till direktiv om åtgärder för transparens vid lönesättning är LO positiva till att verktygen att identifiera och åtgärda lönediskriminering stärks. Den omfattande svenska praxis som finns gällande likalönedirektivet, likabehandlingsdirektivet med flera har inte gett tillräckligt resultat, trots att lagstiftningen funnits sedan 1970-talet. LO är dock kritiska till utformningen av direktivförslaget i vissa delar som utvecklas i bifogat dokument. LO anser exempelvis att det vid de fortsatta förhandlingarna är angeläget att utrymmet för parterna att träffa avtal om olika kollektivavtalade lönemodeller, kollektivavtalade förhandlingsordningar samt traditionen av tvistelösning i samförstånd värnas inom ramen för förhandlingen och i nära samråd med parterna. Vänligen se bifogat dokument för LOs närmare synpunkter på förslaget.
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Swedish Trade Union Confederation warns EU wage rules threaten autonomy

22 Dec 2020
Topic — The European Commission is proposing a directive to ensure adequate minimum wages across all member states.
Message — LO demands the rejection of the directive, arguing it violates EU treaties and undermines the Swedish bargaining system. They suggest using non-binding recommendations instead of binding rules.123
Why — This would preserve their independent power to negotiate wages and prevent interference from European courts.4
Impact — Low-paid workers in Eastern and Southern Europe would lose new legal safeguards against poor working conditions.5
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Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

21 Oct 2020 · Meeting on minimum wage.

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

13 Dec 2019 · Minimum wage, skilling of workforce in digital and green transitions

Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)

18 Nov 2019 · Meeting with ETUC and the SE Trade Union to discuss Minimum Wage.

Meeting with Michel Barnier (Head of Task Force Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom) and Sveriges Akademikers Centralorganisation and Tjänstemännens centralorganisation

5 Oct 2017 · Meeting with the Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 TEU