Shortened working hours

The plan explicitly demands a general reduction in working hours and wants to begin a gradual reduction with maintained wages. An investigation into general working-hour reduction is a direct step towards that commitment. The plan's own motives—sustainable working life and more equal distribution of unpaid domestic work—are moreover the same as the counter-proposal's.

• general reduction in working hoursdecisive»Vi vill se en generell arbetstidsförkortning.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a general reduction in working hours.”
• gradual reduction with maintained wages»Vi vill påbörja en stegvis arbetstidsförkortning« (party programme ↗)“We want to begin a gradual reduction in working hours”
• six-hour working day»Med dagens tekniska utveckling finns förutsättningar att inleda en arbetstidsförkortning, med sikte på sex timmars arbetsdag, med bibehållen lön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“With today's technological development there are conditions to begin a reduction in working hours, aiming at a six-hour working day, with maintained wages.”
• working hours as a gender equality issue»En arbetstidsförkortning skulle vara ett viktigt steg för ökad jämställdhet eftersom det också skulle möjliggöra för en mer jämställd fördelning av det obetalda hemarbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A reduction in working hours would be an important step for increased gender equality since it would also enable a more equal distribution of unpaid domestic work.”

The programme states that society's productivity increases should be converted into both increased living standards and shorter working hours, and counts reduced working hours as part of the better working conditions that technological development should provide. The goal that more people should be able to work throughout their working life is also the reason the counter-proposal cites. An investigation into general reduction in working hours is thus in line with the plan, even though the plan sees collective agreements as the norm.

• productivity gains to shorter working hoursdecisive»Samhällets produktivitetsökningar omsätts i både ökad levnadsstandard och kortare« (party programme ↗)“Society's productivity increases are converted into both increased living standards and shorter”
• reduced working hours»bättre arbetsvillkor inklusive minskad arbetstid.« (party programme ↗)“better working conditions including reduced working hours.”
• sustainable working life»Fler som orkar jobba hela arbetslivet.« (party programme ↗)“More people who can manage working throughout their working life.”
• collective agreements as norm»Kollektivavtal som norm, försvar av den svenska modellen.« (party programme ↗)“Collective agreements as norm, defense of the Swedish model.”

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 aims to legislate on reduced normal working hours with a 35-hour week as a first step and the vision of a four-day week, and the election manifesto promises to shorten working hours so more people can work a full working life. This is exactly the counter-proposal's rationale for a more sustainable labor market. An investigation into general working-hours reduction is a minimum requirement in relation to the plan's own ambition.

• legislated shorter working hoursdecisive»Därför vill vi i Miljöpartiet lagstifta om sänkt normalarbetstid, där en 35-timmarsvecka är ett första steg, med visionen om en fyradagarsvecka.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, in the Green Party we want to legislate on reduced normal working hours, where a 35-hour week is a first step, with the vision of a four-day week.”
• shorter working hours for sustainability»korta arbetstiden så att fler människor orkar jobba ett helt arbetsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“shorten working hours so that more people can work a full working life.”
• working hours as a freedom reform»Kortare arbetstid är en frihetsreform som ger människor makten över sin tid.« (party programme ↗)“Shorter working hours is a freedom reform that gives people power over their time.”
• unsustainable working life»Stressrelaterad ohälsa har blivit den vanligaste grunden för sjukskrivning.« (party programme ↗)“Stress-related illness has become the most common reason for sick leave.”

The plan wants the labor market's rules to be determined by the parties rather than through legislation to the greatest possible extent, and values the work ethic and more work hours as the foundation for welfare financing. A government investigation into general working time reduction is the opposite of both these commitments. The plan does not directly address working hours length, which is why the position is derived.

• parties before legislationdecisive»arbetsmarknadens parter i stället för genom lagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“the labor market's parties rather than through legislation.”
• valued work ethic»Arbetslinjen måste värnas, och den som kan jobba ska inte leva på skattebetalarnas pengar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The work ethic must be valued, and those who can work should not live on taxpayers' money.”
• jobs build welfare»Jobben är grunden för hela samhällets utveckling« (party programme ↗)“Jobs are the foundation for all society's development”
• more in work»Det måste bli lättare att få ett jobb och bli billigare att anställa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It must become easier to get a job and cheaper to hire.”

The plan asserts the work principle and the striving towards full employment, and wants more to be able to work longer in life rather than shorter. It also establishes that conditions on the labor market shall mainly be determined by agreement and not by law, which speaks against a state investigation into general working time reduction. The plan's answer to the need for sustainability is instead individual influence over one's own working time.

• the work principle is asserteddecisive»Vi människor lever inte för att arbeta, men för att stärka den enskildes möjlighet till ett självständigt liv och för den gemensamma välfärdens skull är det viktigt att hävda arbetslinjen och sträva mot full sysselsättning.« (party programme ↗)“We people do not live to work, but to strengthen the individual's opportunity for an independent life and for the sake of common welfare it is important to assert the work principle and strive towards full employment.”
• conditions through agreements»Den svenska arbetsmarknadsmodellen, där villkoren i huvudsak bestäms genom avtal och inte i lag, bidrar till ansvarstagande på arbetsmarknaden.« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish labor market model, where conditions are mainly determined by agreement and not by law, contributes to responsibility on the labor market.”
• individual influence over working time»Fler anställda bör ha inflytande över sin egen arbetstid, till exempel genom en timbank eller en arbetstid som varierar över året.« (party programme ↗)“More employees should have influence over their own working time, for example through an hour bank or working time that varies over the year.”
• longer working life»Att äldre ges större möjlighet att fortsätta arbeta ökar den enskildes valfrihet och förbättrar samhällsekonomin.« (party programme ↗)“That older people are given greater opportunity to continue working increases individual freedom of choice and improves the economy.”

The plan states that the design of working time is a matter for the labour market parties, rejects state direction in the form of income policy and warns politicians against unnecessarily interfering. The election manifesto moreover wants to make it possible to work longer and more flexibly, not to generally shorten working time. A state inquiry into general working time reduction thus goes against the plan's line.

• the parties design working timedecisive»Utformningen ska göras av arbetsmarknadens parter. En klar rollfördelning ska« (party programme ↗)“Design shall be done by the labour market parties. A clear division of roles shall”
• no to state control»inkomstpolitik avvisas.« (party programme ↗)“income policy is rejected.”
• work longer and more flexibly»Gör det möjligt att arbeta längre och mer flexibelt för den som kan genom att förlänga rätten att arbeta (LAS-åldern) i två steg till 75 års ålder, med ömsesidig rätt att minska arbetstiden till 50%.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it possible to work longer and more flexibly for those who can by extending the right to work (LAS age) in two steps to age 75, with mutual right to reduce working time to 50%.”
• politics should not interfere»Politiker måste motstå frestelsen att i onödan lägga sig i.« (party programme ↗)“Politicians must resist the temptation to unnecessarily interfere.”

The counter-proposal wants to investigate a general reduction of working hours. The plan's core commitment is the opposite: the work line should be re-established, more should work and work more, and taxes and benefit systems should be based on the work line. The plan even wants to reduce involuntary part-time work, which is incompatible with politically shortening general working hours.

• re-established work linedecisive»Att återupprätta arbetslinjen är det bästa sättet att se till att Sveriges hushåll har styrka nog att komma igenom den tuffa tid som ligger framför oss.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Re-establishing the work line is the best way to ensure that Swedish households have the strength to get through the tough time ahead of us.”
• work line as foundation»Skatter och bidragssystem ska utgå från arbetslinjen.« (party programme ↗)“Taxes and benefit systems should be based on the work line.”
• more working hours»Minska det ofrivilliga deltidsarbetet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce involuntary part-time work”
• work should pay»Sänka skatten på arbete så att din ansträngning lönar sig bättre« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the tax on work so that your effort pays off better”

The plan establishes that everyone with the ability should work in real jobs and that it should become more profitable to work, with business conditions as the foundation of welfare. A general reduction in working time pulls the opposite direction and would also move a question that the plan says belongs with the labour market parties to state regulation. The plan provides no support for investigating shorter working hours.

• work as foundationdecisive»Alla som har förmågan ska arbeta i riktiga jobb, försörja sig och bidra till att bygga Sverige bättre.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone with the ability shall work in real jobs, support themselves, and contribute to building Sweden better.”
• it should pay to work»Göra det mer lönsamt att arbeta« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it more profitable to work”
• the parties determine working conditions»Sverigedemokraterna försvarar grunderna i den svenska modellen« (party programme ↗)“Sweden Democrats defend the foundations of the Swedish model”
• business conditions bear welfare»Grunden för välfärden skapas i företagen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The foundation for welfare is created in companies.”