Sweden is a weird place where basically everything is decided by union contracts. There isn't even a national minimum wage as there's enough union power that they effectively get one in the contracts. Companies that try to fight it generally end up losing when they can't do literally anything without a union blocking them.
That's not weird, that should be normal.
I think Sweden's Union culture is especially interesting in the way that they do cross-trade-strikes. Like this article mentions, not only the mechanics who would be affected by the contract are striking. Instead basically anyone providing a service to Tesla stops providing services to them until they submit to the unions. It's really quite a nice system. I'd seriously consider moving there if it wasn't so conservative in some other ways..
I usually think of us (swedes) as very progressive. In what way would you consider us conservative?
Like the other commenter assumed, I am talking about the rise of right wingers and xenophobia. Maybe I just read about it a lot and think it's worse than it is. Seeing as this is also happening where I live, in Germany, I suppose it really isn't that strong of an argument.
I do realize you are relatively progressive in a lot of areas like renewable energy, social services etc.
What are your favorite progressive aspects of Sweden?
I see the loud right winged racists as a result on how progressive we are. It's basically a response to us taking in a lot of foreigners a few years ago. Progress is never a straight line.
Swedes are really welcoming to new solutions if they are logical and beneficial.
You definitely have a point about progress not being a straight line. I would also like to think we are pretty progressive here in Germany but the recent few years have made me question that. Especially because I don't really agree with the german right wingers being a direct result of the refugees we took in around 2015. A lot of them are very anti establishment generally, almost on a conspiracy theory level. But nontheless, you are right that no curve can forever go up, even if the trend is headed that way.
I don't really think the first 3 points are markers of real progress, but I have to agree they are nice aspects of day to day life.
The last part is definitely interesting. I know we have something somewhat similar here in germany, but as always, it is hidden behind a huge wall of bureaucracy. Is that similar in Sweden or us bureaucracy more lenient/easy?
My experience in Sweden suggest those are a very few online loudmouths, not at all indicative of how a visually diverse group was treated there. In fact, one black American mentioned how awesome it was just to be, and have their skin not be an issue in any wsy.
Could be weed being illegal here, or the increase of xenophobia / right wingers, or both
Aren't cross-trade strikes a consequence of union solidarity? I think large federated unions in other countries engage is similar protests.
I'm not sure about other countries, but I haven't heard of anything like that here in germany. To be fair, I'm not even really sure how big unions are here, but I always felt like there is pretty decent coverage. I know there is the IG Metall, which apparently has pretty good coverage of a lot of industrial trades. Then there is ver.di that covers a lot of more office-type jobs, and I think there is another one for train drivers and workers. I have heard of a lot of people in IG Metall, but I've also read that the other unions don't have that many members. Maybe we don't do cross trade strikes because of that?
So when can Sweeden take over the world?
when us nordics can stop being silly and form a union again.
Once their brand of unionism is exported to the EU and turned into the norm all over it, I guess they'll be halfway there.
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