2023-02-222022/23:AU5 · p.13AULabour market
EU Legislation on Labor Market Issues
EU legislation in the labor market area and the Swedish model
What's at stake: The issue concerns how the Swedish labor market model, in which wages and employment terms are regulated through collective agreements rather than law, should be protected against EU initiatives such as those concerning minimum wages.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The vote concerns whether the government should become more active and take measures to counter EU legislation seen as threatening the Swedish labor market model, or whether the current approach — relying on cross-party unity and unity between labor-market parties — is sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the motions' concern about EU legislation in the labor market area but considers the unity across party lines and between labor-market parties to be a strength, sees no sign that the government holds a different position, and therefore rejects the calls for the government to become more active.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 14 (C)
C argues that the European Pillar of Social Rights has led to binding EU initiatives that threaten the Swedish labor market model, that labor-market decisions should be made nationally, and that the government, unlike the committee's position, should be more active and take measures against EU legislation that threatens the model.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 14 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: SDSverigedemokraterna, VVänsterpartiet
Ja 277–20Ja 193–104
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | Yes | Yes 92/0/0/15 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 14/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | No 0/20/0/4 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 58/0/0/10 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/10 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:849 by Kerstin Lundgren et al. (C) claim 38 and 2022/23:852 by Jonny Cato et al. (C) claim 11.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:849 av Kerstin Lundgren m.fl. (C) yrkande 38 och 2022/23:852 av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C) yrkande 11.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 40 motions from the 2022 general motion period. The motions concern, among other things, time-limited employment contracts, hiring out of workers, and posting of workers.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to establish investigations into a new law on the right to leave for family care and the possibility of starting enterprises part-time. (C) — Reservation 14
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan generally opposes proposals that increase EU power and wants to return power to member states, and rejects supranational bodies that violate the sovereignty of elected parliaments.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan generally opposes proposals that increase EU power and wants to return power to member states, and rejects supranational bodies that violate the sovereignty of elected parliaments. It also requires that politics respect the Swedish model of industrial relations. That decisions on the labor market and social safety nets are made nationally and that EU legislation threatening the model is countered follows directly from this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen motsätter sig generellt förslag som ökar EU:s makt och vill föra makt tillbaka till medlemsländerna, och avvisar överstatliga organ som kränker de folkvalda parlamentens suveränitet. Den kräver också att politiken respekterar den svenska partsmodellen. Att beslut om arbetsmarknad och sociala skyddsnät fattas nationellt och att EU-lagstiftning som hotar modellen motverkas följer direkt av detta.
- against increased EU powerdecisive»I det dagliga arbetet motsätter sig Vänsterpartiet generellt förslag som ökar EU:s makt« (party programme ↗)“In its daily work, the Left Party generally opposes proposals that increase EU power”
- power back to member states»tillbaka makt till medlemsländerna« (party programme ↗)“return power to member states”
- respect for the Swedish model»för att förhandlingarna ska vara rättvisa behöver politiken respektera den svenska modellen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“for negotiations to be fair, politics must respect the Swedish model”
- national sovereignty»Överstatliga organ som kränker de nationella folkvalda parlamentens suveränitet är ingen hållbar lösning.« (party programme ↗)“Supranational bodies that violate the sovereignty of nationally elected parliaments are not a sustainable solution.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan explicitly requires common minimum rules within the EU to protect employees' rights and a European policy for full employment that prevents social dumping.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires common minimum rules within the EU to protect employees' rights and a European policy for full employment that prevents social dumping. The counter-proposal's demand that decisions on labour markets and social safety nets should be made nationally and that the government should counter EU initiatives contradicts this. The plan safeguards the subsidiarity principle but sees EU cooperation as the foundation for solving common problems.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen gemensamma minimiregler inom EU till skydd för de anställdas rättigheter och en europeisk politik för full sysselsättning som förhindrar social dumping. Motförslagets krav att beslut om arbetsmarknad och sociala skyddsnät ska fattas nationellt och att regeringen ska motverka EU-initiativ strider mot detta. Planen värnar subsidiaritetsprincipen men ser EU-samarbetet som grunden för att lösa gemensamma problem.
- EU minimum rules for protectiondecisive»Den fria rörligheten på EU:s inre marknad måste balanseras av löntagarnas rätt att verka fackligt över gränserna och av gemensamma minimiregler inom EU till skydd för de anställdas rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Free movement in the EU's internal market must be balanced by employees' right to organise collectively across borders and by common minimum rules within the EU to protect employees' rights.”
- European employment policy»Vi vill utveckla en europeisk politik för full sysselsättning, som bygger på respekt för löntagarnas rättigheter och förhindrar social dumping.« (party programme ↗)“We want to develop a European policy for full employment that is built on respect for employees' rights and prevents social dumping.”
- EU cooperation as foundation»Vi är övertygade om att EU-samarbetet är grunden för att lösa många av vår tids svåraste problem.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We are convinced that EU cooperation is the foundation for solving many of our time's most difficult problems.”
- the subsidiarity principle»Den så kallade subsidiaritetsprincipen ska följas.« (party programme ↗)“The so-called subsidiarity principle shall be followed.”
The party programme values the Swedish model where labor market parties negotiate conditions, and at the same time states that the EU today determines many areas that would be handled better nationally and that central control shall be reduced.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme values the Swedish model where labor market parties negotiate conditions, and at the same time states that the EU today determines many areas that would be handled better nationally and that central control shall be reduced. To counteract binding EU legislation that threatens the Swedish labor market model follows from these commitments. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet värnar den svenska modellen där arbetsmarknadens parter förhandlar fram villkoren, och slår samtidigt fast att EU i dag bestämmer över många områden som skulle hanteras bättre nationellt och att centralstyrningen ska minska. Att motverka bindande EU-lagstiftning som hotar den svenska arbetsmarknadsmodellen följer av dessa åtaganden. Planen stöder därför motförslaget.
- Swedish parties' modeldecisive»Vi värnar den svenska modellen där arbetsmarknadens parter« (party programme ↗)“We value the Swedish model where labor market parties”
- national competence protected»I dag bestämmer EU över många områden« (party programme ↗)“Today the EU determines many areas”
- reduced EU central control»Centralstyrning ska minska och de enskilda« (party programme ↗)“Central control shall decrease and the individual”
- right to go further nationally»Medlemsländerna måste få rätt att gå före med« (party programme ↗)“Member states must have the right to go further with”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan explicitly states that the union shall refrain from intervening in the countries' welfare and social security systems, and that the EU shall become narrower but sharper.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly states that the union shall refrain from intervening in the countries' welfare and social security systems, and that the EU shall become narrower but sharper. Moreover, it builds the Swedish model on the premise that the labour market's rules are set by the parties, not by legislation. The counter-proposal's requirement that decisions on the labour market and social security systems be made nationally, and that the government acts against threatening EU legislation, are thus aligned with the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger uttryckligen att unionen ska avhålla sig från att gripa in i ländernas välfärd och sociala trygghetssystem och att EU ska bli smalare men vassare. Den bygger dessutom den svenska modellen på att arbetsmarknadens spelregler sätts av parterna, inte av lagstiftning. Motförslagets krav på att beslut om arbetsmarknad och trygghetssystem fattas nationellt och att regeringen agerar mot hotande EU-lagstiftning är därmed planens linje.
- The EU shall not control welfaredecisive»Däremot måste unionen avhålla sig från att gripa in i t.ex. ländernas skatter« (party programme ↗)“However, the union must refrain from intervening in, for example, the countries' taxes”
- narrower but sharper EU»EU måste bli smalare, men vassare, göra färre saker men göra dem bättre.« (party programme ↗)“The EU must become narrower, but sharper, do fewer things but do them better.”
- the party model is protected»bör lagar och regler inte köra över den fria avtalsrätten« (party programme ↗)“should laws and regulations not override free bargaining rights”
- national self-determination»Unionens byråkrati får inte överskugga demokratin.« (party programme ↗)“The union's bureaucracy must not overshadow democracy.”
The plan wants to deepen EU cooperation and explicitly establishes that all EU countries shall have basic protection for social rights.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to deepen EU cooperation and explicitly establishes that all EU countries shall have basic protection for social rights. The counter-proposal's demand that decisions on labour market and social safety-net issues instead be made nationally and that the government shall take action against EU legislation in the field thus runs against the plan's line. The plan certainly protects trade-union freedom and collective agreements, but never draws the conclusion that the EU's social pillar should be opposed.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill fördjupa EU-samarbetet och slår uttryckligen fast att alla EU-länder ska ha ett grundläggande skydd för sociala rättigheter. Motförslagets krav att beslut om arbetsmarknad och sociala skyddsnät i stället ska fattas nationellt och att regeringen ska vidta åtgärder mot EU-lagstiftning på området går därmed emot planens linje. Planen värnar visserligen den fackliga friheten och kollektivavtalen, men drar aldrig slutsatsen att EU:s sociala pelare ska motverkas.
- EU-common social protectiondecisive»Vi vill att alla länder i EU har ett grundläggande skydd för sociala rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“We want all countries in the EU to have basic protection for social rights.”
- deepened EU cooperation»Europa behöver mer – inte mindre – samarbete.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Europe needs more – not less – cooperation.”
- no to weaker EU»När rödgröna partier drömmer om att försvaga eller upplösa EU vill vi fördjupa samarbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“When left-green parties dream of weakening or dissolving the EU we want to deepen cooperation.”
- collective-agreement model protected»Den fackliga friheten och möjligheten till kollektivavtal är en viktig del av förenings- och avtalsfriheten.« (party programme ↗)“Trade-union freedom and possibilities for collective agreements are an important part of freedom of association and contractual freedom.”
The party programme requires that the EU's tasks are limited to prevent unwanted centralization and states that each country itself chooses how to design its economic policy.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that the EU's tasks are limited to prevent unwanted centralization and states that each country itself chooses how to design its economic policy. Wage formation shall be designed by the parties to the labour market and shall not be politically controlled. The counter-proposal's demand that decisions on the labour market and social safety nets are made nationally, and that the government acts against EU legislation that threatens the model, thus aligns with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att EU:s uppgifter avgränsas för att förhindra ovälkommen centralisering och slår fast att varje land självt väljer utformningen av sin ekonomiska politik. Lönebildningen ska utformas av arbetsmarknadens parter och inte styras politiskt. Motförslagets krav på att beslut om arbetsmarknad och sociala skyddsnät fattas nationellt, och att regeringen agerar mot EU-lagstiftning som hotar modellen, ligger därmed i linje med planen.
- limited EU competencedecisive»En avgränsning av EU:s uppgifter är nödvändig för att förhindra ovälkommen centralisering.« (party programme ↗)“A limitation of the EU's tasks is necessary to prevent unwanted centralization.”
- national economic policy»Varje land har dock rätt att själv välja utformningen av sin ekonomiska politik.« (party programme ↗)“Each country does however have the right to itself choose how to design its economic policy.”
- parties' self-determination»Utformningen ska göras av arbetsmarknadens parter.« (party programme ↗)“The design shall be done by the parties to the labour market.”
- no to state control of wages»Statlig styrning av lönebildningen i form av inkomstpolitik avvisas.« (party programme ↗)“State control of wage formation in the form of incomes policy is rejected.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan states that decisions shall be made at the lowest possible level and that the EU shall focus on cross-border problems, not on the labour market and social protection networks.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that decisions shall be made at the lowest possible level and that the EU shall focus on cross-border problems, not on the labour market and social protection networks. It also requires preventing overimplementation of EU decisions and that directives as a main rule are implemented at minimum level. This leads to support for the counter-proposal's demand that decisions on the labour market are made nationally and that the government actively opposes EU legislation that threatens the Swedish model.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att beslut ska fattas på lägsta möjliga nivå och att EU ska fokusera på gränsöverskridande problem, inte på arbetsmarknad och sociala skyddsnät. Den kräver också att överimplementering av EU-beslut motverkas och att direktiv som huvudregel genomföras på miniminivå. Det leder till stöd för motförslagets krav att beslut om arbetsmarknaden fattas nationellt och att regeringen aktivt motverkar EU-lagstiftning som hotar den svenska modellen.
- subsidiarity in the EUdecisive»Beslut ska fattas på lägsta möjliga nivå, så nära medborgarna som möjligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decisions shall be made at the lowest possible level, as close to citizens as possible.”
- EU directives at minimum level»Minska regelkrånglet och onödig byråkrati, bland annat genom att motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut – som huvudregel ska EU-direktiv genomföras på miniminivå« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, among other things by preventing overimplementation in Sweden of EU decisions—as a main rule EU directives shall be implemented at minimum level”
- member states' sovereignty»Men EU ska aldrig utvecklas på medlemsstaternas bekostnad.« (party programme ↗)“But the EU shall never be developed at the expense of member states.”
- limited EU mandate»EU:s fokus ska ligga på att lösa problem som Sverige inte kan hantera ensamt, till exempel handel, klimat, migration och säkerhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU's focus shall be on solving problems that Sweden cannot handle alone, such as trade, climate, migration and security.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto explicitly establishes that the Swedish model is threatened by EU proposals on wage formation, unemployment insurance and social safety nets and that Swedish control over the labour market model must be secured.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly establishes that the Swedish model is threatened by EU proposals on wage formation, unemployment insurance and social safety nets and that Swedish control over the labour market model must be secured. The counter-proposal's demands that decisions be made nationally and that the government act against EU legislation threatening the model are thereby the plan's own line. The plan is however silent on the committee's procedural reason that broad consensus makes a new initiative unnecessary.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår uttryckligen fast att den svenska modellen hotas av EU-förslag om lönebildning, arbetslöshetsersättning och sociala skyddsnät och att svensk kontroll över arbetsmarknadsmodellen måste säkras. Motförslagets krav på att beslut ska fattas nationellt och att regeringen ska agera mot EU-lagstiftning som hotar modellen är därmed planens egen linje. Planen är däremot tyst om utskottets processkäl att bred enighet gör ett nytt initiativ onödigt.
- EU threatens Swedish modeldecisive»Men den svenska modellen hotas för närvarande av förslag från EU om gemensamma regler för lönebildning, arbetslöshetsersättning och det sociala skyddsnätet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“But the Swedish model is currently threatened by proposals from the EU on common rules for wage formation, unemployment insurance and the social safety net.”
- wage earners' position against EU»Svenska löntagares ställning ska aldrig offras som eftergift till EU.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish wage earners' position shall never be sacrificed as a concession to the EU.”
- national control over labour market»Svensk kontroll över vår arbetsmarknadsmodell och välfärdspolitik måste säkras för framtida generationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish control over our labour market model and welfare policy must be secured for future generations.”
- stop power transfer to EU»Stoppa maktöverföringar och EU-skatter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop transfers of power and EU taxes”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:AU5)
- Committee report full text (HA01AU5)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1121 — Fler företag, fler jobb och stärkt konkurrenskraft i hela landet av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1125 — Politik för Sveriges arbetarkvinnor av Lawen Redar (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1152 — En trygg familjepolitik med barnet i centrum av Mona Olin m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1227 — Ekonomisk familjepolitik av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1231 — Ett hållbart småföretagande av Lorena Delgado Varas m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1245 — Ordning och reda på arbetsmarknaden av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1370 — Krav på kollektivavtal vid offentlig upphandling av Rose-Marie Carlsson och Jamal El-Haj (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1445 — Ett starkare integritetsskydd i arbetslivet av Aida Birinxhiku (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1479 — Grundkrav på kollektivavtal av Annette Rydell och Heléne Björklund (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1635 — Företag inom besöksnäringen av Martina Johansson (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1962 — Ordning och reda i upphandlingar av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2015 — Utökat skydd mot föreningsrättskränkning av Leif Nysmed m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2064 — Handel och exportfrämjande av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:544 — Rättvist förfarande vid arbetstvister av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:57 — Arbetsmiljö och arbetstid av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:611 — En arbetsrätt för starka och trygga löntagare av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:849 — Internationellt samarbete i en ny tid av Kerstin Lundgren m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:852 — Arbetsmarknad av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:901 — En äldreomsorg med trygghet och valfrihet i hela landet av Christofer Bergenblock m.fl. (C)
Source: The Swedish Parliament