2025-04-242024/25:AU8 · p.4AULabour market
Local safety representatives and safety committees
What's at stake: Safety representatives play a central role in day-to-day work environment efforts at Swedish workplaces. How the role is filled affects how many people can take it on and how work environment efforts are organised at workplaces with limited union involvement.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether today's arrangement - in which trade unions have priority to appoint local safety representatives - should remain unchanged, or whether the government should act to broaden who can become a safety representative and thereby increase their numbers.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee emphasises that employers, employees and their representatives jointly carry out the day-to-day work environment work at workplaces, and that safety representatives play an important role within this cooperation. The committee also notes that the question of expanded access rights for safety representatives has already been examined and that a similar earlier bill was rejected by the Riksdag, and that labour market parties can themselves negotiate sector-level agreements on this. The committee therefore rejects the motion calling for broadening who can be appointed as a local safety representative.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 8 (SD)
The reservation (SD) calls on the government to take action to increase the number of safety representatives. The reasoning is that today's model, in which trade unions have priority to appoint local safety representatives, excludes large numbers of employees from the role, and that the politicisation of, and political discrimination against, elected safety representatives is viewed as a serious problem.
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 8 by SD.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Abstain 0/0/19/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | Yes | Abstain 0/0/91/15 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | Yes | Yes 13/0/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| KD | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| M | No | Yes 58/0/0/10 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | No 0/63/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2024/25:952 by Ciczie Weidby et al. (V) demands 7-9 and 19, 2024/25:2352 by Johan Andersson et al. (S), 2024/25:2386 by Magnus Persson et al. (SD) demand 19, 2024/25:2512 by Mirja Räihä et al. (S) and 2024/25:3070 by Ardalan Shekarabi et al. (S) demand 50.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:952 av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V) yrkandena 7-9 och 19, 2024/25:2352 av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S), 2024/25:2386 av Magnus Persson m.fl. (SD) yrkande 19, 2024/25:2512 av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S) och 2024/25:3070 av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S) yrkande 50.
Riksdag decision: Parliament rejected 110 proposals in motions on working environment. The motions were submitted during the general motion period 2024 and address, among other things, the employer's responsibility for working environment, safety representatives and safety committees, workplace crime and the Swedish Work Environment Authority. Parliament refers to the fact that work is already ongoing in the areas covered by the proposals, and to the parties' responsibility in the Swedish labor market.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to expand the number of safety representatives to enable more employees to take on this role. (SD) — Reservation 8
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 wants to strengthen safety representatives and the trade union movement's position as bearers of workers' power in the workplace.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to strengthen safety representatives and the trade union movement's position as bearers of workers' power in the workplace. Broadening who can be appointed as local safety representative and thereby loosening the union's preferential right weakens precisely the collective bargaining power the plan wants to build. The plan instead sees legislation that strengthens safety representatives and trade union organizations as the way forward.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill stärka skyddsombuden och fackföreningsrörelsens ställning som bärare av löntagarnas makt på arbetsplatsen. Att bredda vem som kan utses till lokalt skyddsombud och därmed lucka upp fackens företrädesrätt försvagar just den kollektiva förhandlingsstyrkan planen vill bygga. Planen ser i stället lagstiftning som stärker skyddsombud och fackliga organisationer som vägen framåt.
- strengthened safety representativesdecisive»genom att stärka skyddsombuden« (party programme ↗)“by strengthening safety representatives”
- unions' central role»Fackföreningsrörelsen har en djup betydelse för människors makt i« (party programme ↗)“The trade union movement has deep significance for people's power in”
- strengthened worker positions»stärka löntagarnas positioner.« (party programme ↗)“strengthen workers' positions.”
- trade union organizing»Du som enskild löntagare kan bidra genom att vara organiserad fackligt, och se till att din arbetsplats har kollektivavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“As an individual worker you can contribute by being organized in a union, and ensure that your workplace has a collective agreement.”
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 party programme makes the trade union organizations necessary representatives of employees' common interests in matters of working environment and employment conditions, and the election manifesto expresses confidence in the parties' own responsibility.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes the trade union organizations necessary representatives of employees' common interests in matters of working environment and employment conditions, and the election manifesto expresses confidence in the parties' own responsibility. The counter-proposal wants to broaden who can be appointed as a local safety representative and thereby weaken the unions' right of priority. The plan's party model speaks against this demand.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör de fackliga organisationerna till nödvändiga företrädare för de anställdas gemensamma intressen i frågor om arbetsmiljö och anställningsvillkor, och valmanifestet uttrycker tilltro till parternas eget ansvar. Motförslaget vill bredda vem som kan utses till lokalt skyddsombud och därmed försvaga fackens företrädesrätt. Planens partsmodell talar emot det kravet.
- strong trade union organizationsdecisive»organisationer är nödvändiga för att hävda de anställdas gemensamma intressen vad gäller« (party programme ↗)“organizations are necessary to assert employees' common interests regarding”
- the party model is respected»tror på parternas förmåga att ta ansvar för lönebildningen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“believes in the parties' ability to take responsibility for wage formation”
- strong labour law»arbetsrättslig lagstiftning behövs som skydd för de anställda.« (party programme ↗)“labour law legislation is needed as protection for employees.”
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 values the Swedish model, where labour market parties jointly negotiate what shall apply, and wants trade union organisation to be encouraged.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly values the Swedish model, where labour market parties jointly negotiate what shall apply, and wants trade union organisation to be encouraged. The counter-proposal wants to break unions' exclusive right to appoint local safety representatives, which goes against the partnership model the plan is built on. The plan therefore opposes the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Planen värnar uttryckligen den svenska modellen, där arbetsmarknadens parter gemensamt förhandlar fram vad som ska gälla, och vill att den fackliga organiseringen uppmuntras. Motförslaget vill bryta fackens företrädesrätt att utse lokala skyddsombud, vilket går emot den partsmodell planen bygger på. Planen talar därför emot kravet.
- the partnership model and collective agreementsdecisive»Vi värnar den svenska modellen där arbetsmarknadens parter gemensamt förhandlar fram vad som« (party programme ↗)“We value the Swedish model where labour market parties jointly negotiate what”
- trade union organisation is encouraged»organiseringen bör uppmuntras.« (party programme ↗)“organisation should be encouraged.”
- strong labour law»Vi vill värna en fungerande arbetsrätt och ge« (party programme ↗)“We want to value a functioning labour law and give”
The plan establishes that rules shall not put anyone at a disadvantage in the labour market on arbitrary grounds, which supports allowing more than union-appointed representatives to become local safety representatives.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that rules shall not put anyone at a disadvantage in the labour market on arbitrary grounds, which supports allowing more than union-appointed representatives to become local safety representatives. Freedom of association explicitly includes the freedom to refrain from organising, and membership should not determine access to the appointment. That the parties themselves determine the rules of the game is an objection, but does not outweigh a broadening of who can be appointed.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att regler inte får sätta någon i underläge på arbetsmarknaden på godtyckliga grunder, vilket talar för att fler än fackligt utsedda ska kunna bli lokala skyddsombud. Föreningsfriheten innefattar uttryckligen friheten att avstå från att organisera sig, och då bör inte medlemskap avgöra tillgången till uppdraget. Att parterna själva råder över spelreglerna är en invändning, men bär inte mot en breddning av vem som kan utses.
- no one at disadvantage on arbitrary groundsdecisive»bör lagar och regler inte köra över den fria avtalsrätten eller sätta någon i underläge« (party programme ↗)“should laws and regulations not override free contract rights or put anyone at a disadvantage”
- freedom to stay outside the union»frihet att avstå från religion och från att organisera sig« (party programme ↗)“freedom to refrain from religion and from organising”
- the parties set the rules»arbetsmarknadens parter i stället för genom lagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“the labour market parties rather than through legislation”
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 does not mention shop stewards, but its guiding principle is that the individual person themselves decides which communities they wish to belong to and that labor law shall be adapted to current conditions.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not mention shop stewards, but its guiding principle is that the individual person themselves decides which communities they wish to belong to and that labor law shall be adapted to current conditions. That a single organization's right of priority excludes employees from an assignment sits poorly with this; the plan shows the same attitude when it wishes to abolish the fee for rent setting to the Tenants' Association. The counter-proposal's demand for an expanded circle is therefore supported, albeit with respect for union freedom.
Original (Swedish)
Planen nämner inte skyddsombud, men dess bärande princip är att den enskilda människan själv avgör vilka gemenskaper hon vill tillhöra och att arbetsrätten ska anpassas till dagens förhållanden. Att en enskild organisations företrädesrätt stänger ute anställda från ett uppdrag rimmar illa med detta; planen visar samma hållning när den vill avskaffa hyressättningsavgiften till Hyresgästföreningen. Motförslagets krav på breddad krets stöds därför, om än med respekt för den fackliga friheten.
- voluntary membership in communitiesdecisive»Det måste alltid vara den enskilda människan som avgör vilka gemenskaper man vill tillhöra och känna delaktighet med.« (party programme ↗)“It must always be the individual person who decides which communities one wishes to belong to and feel part of.”
- no organizational privileges»Hyressättningsavgiften, som idag tillfaller Hyresgästföreningen, ska avskaffas.« (party programme ↗)“The fee for rent setting, which today goes to the Tenants' Association, shall be abolished.”
- modernized labor law»För att sänka trösklarna till arbetsmarknaden och göra den mer dynamisk måste arbetsrätten vara anpassad till dagens förhållanden.« (party programme ↗)“To lower barriers to the labor market and make it more dynamic, labor law must be adapted to current conditions.”
- union freedom protected»Den fackliga friheten och möjligheten till kollektivavtal är en viktig del av förenings- och avtalsfriheten.« (party programme ↗)“Union freedom and the possibility of collective agreements is an important part of freedom of association and contract.”
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 establishes that strong and politically independent trade unions are an indispensable part of a democratic society and that the labour market parties themselves should shape the order within their areas.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that strong and politically independent trade unions are an indispensable part of a democratic society and that the labour market parties themselves should shape the order within their areas. The counter-proposal instead wants by legislation to broaden who can be appointed as a local safety representative and thereby intervene in the parties' model. The plan provides no support for such an intervention, although it emphasises employees' influence.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar är en oundgänglig del av ett demokratiskt samhälle och att arbetsmarknadens parter själva ska utforma ordningen inom sina områden. Motförslaget vill i stället lagstiftningsvägen bredda vem som kan utses till lokalt skyddsombud och därmed gripa in i partsmodellen. Planen ger inget stöd för ett sådant ingrepp, även om den betonar löntagarnas inflytande.
- independent trade unionsdecisive»Starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar« (party programme ↗)“Strong and politically independent trade unions”
- the parties shape the order»Utformningen ska göras av arbetsmarknadens parter.« (party programme ↗)“The design shall be made by the labour market parties.”
- political restraint»Politiker måste motstå frestelsen att i onödan« (party programme ↗)“Politicians must resist the temptation to unnecessarily”
- cooperation in the workplace»En positiv samverkan grundad på ömsesidigt förtroende mellan alla i« (party programme ↗)“A positive cooperation based on mutual trust between everyone in”
The plan does not address the appointment of shop stewards.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address the appointment of shop stewards. The closest principle is that freedoms and rights belong to individuals and never to collectives and that the individual should be asserted against collectivism; an arrangement where the union has preferential right to the position excludes unorganized employees. Based on that principle, the plan argues for widening who can be appointed.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte skyddsombudens tillsättning. Den närmast liggande principen är att fri- och rättigheter tillhör individer och aldrig kollektiv och att individen ska hävdas mot kollektivismen; en ordning där facket har företrädesrätt till uppdraget stänger ute anställda som inte är organiserade. Utifrån den principen talar planen för att bredda vem som kan utses.
- rättigheter tillhör individendecisive»Fri- och rättigheter tillhör individer och aldrig« (party programme ↗)“Freedoms and rights belong to individuals and never”
- individen före kollektivet»hävda individen mot kollektivismen« (party programme ↗)“assert the individual against collectivism”
- medborgarnas eget ansvar»Samhällets styrka och motståndskraft vilar på medborgarnas ansvar och förmåga« (party programme ↗)“Society's strength and resilience rest on citizens' responsibility and ability”
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 requires that politically controlled trade unions' right to appoint occupational health and safety representatives be phased out and that power instead lie with employees at the affected workplace.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires that politically controlled trade unions' right to appoint occupational health and safety representatives be phased out and that power instead lie with employees at the affected workplace. The counter-proposal's demand to broaden who can be appointed as a local occupational health and safety representative is precisely this. The plan also wants all wage earners, regardless of union affiliation, to be included in occupational health and safety work.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att de politiskt styrda fackförbundens företrädesrätt att utse skyddsombud avvecklas och att makten i stället ligger hos medarbetarna på den berörda arbetsplatsen. Motförslagets krav på att bredda vem som kan tillsättas som lokalt skyddsombud är precis detta. Planen vill dessutom att alla löntagare, oavsett facklig tillhörighet, ska inkluderas i arbetsmiljöarbetet.
- abolished union monopolydecisive»avveckla politiskt styrda fackförbunds företrädesrätt att utse skyddsombud« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out politically controlled trade unions' right to appoint occupational health and safety representatives”
- employees appoint representatives»Makten att utse lokala skyddsombud ska i första hand ligga hos medarbetarna på berörd arbetsplats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The power to appoint local occupational health and safety representatives should primarily lie with employees at the affected workplace.”
- all wage earners included»Alla löntagare, oavsett avtal eller facklig tillhörighet, ska inkluderas i arbetsmiljöarbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All wage earners, regardless of agreement or union affiliation, should be included in occupational health and safety work.”
- depoliticized occupational health and safety»Avpolitisera arbetsmiljöarbetet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Depoliticize occupational health and safety work”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:AU8)
- Committee report full text (HC01AU8)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1403 — En human sjukförsäkring med individen i centrum av Clara Aranda m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1412 — Jämställdhet och diskriminering av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1579 — Stressrelaterade sjukdomar och sjukskrivningar för yrkesverksamma inom vård- och omsorgsyrken av Anna Vikström m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1624 — Arbetsvillkor för minderåriga av Anna Lasses (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1705 — Bättre arbetsmiljö av Carina Ödebrink och Azra Muranovic (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1791 — Betalda arbetsskor för vård-, omsorgs- och förskolepersonal av Linnéa Wickman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1906 — En fungerande sjukförsäkring av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2188 — Ordning och reda på svenska byggen av Kristoffer Lindberg m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2347 — Sanktionsavgifter vid arbetsmiljöbrott av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2352 — Arbetsmiljöutbildning av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2386 — Arbetsmarknad och arbetsliv av Magnus Persson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:2487 — En hållbar arbetsmiljö av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2501 — Företagshälsovård av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2512 — Skyddsombudens tillträde till alla arbetsplatser av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2613 — En grön klimathandlingsplan för Sverige 2025 av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:2628 — Förstärkta insatser för kompetensutveckling av Leila Ali Elmi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:2948 — Arbetsmarknad av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:2955 — Livskraft och framtidstro på Sveriges landsbygder av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:3022 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3055 — Främjande av hälsa - förebyggande av sjukdom och ohälsa av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
Source: The Swedish Parliament