2023-04-272022/23:AU8 · p.8AULabour market
Access rights for regional safety representatives
Regional safety representatives' right of access to workplaces with collective agreements
What's at stake: An expanded right of access would strengthen the ability to detect work-environment shortcomings at workplaces without a local safety organization, especially in industries with mobile employment and high staff turnover, but it also touches on the boundary between union representation and employers' and employees' own cooperation.
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 regional safety representatives should be given a right of access to all workplaces with a collective agreement, regardless of whether the union has a member there, or whether today's membership requirement should be kept.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that a government inquiry has already proposed an expanded right of access in line with the motions and that the proposal has been out for consultation, and that a similar change was previously rejected by parliament. The committee expects the government to come back if the inquiry gives reason to, and also points out that the parties themselves can conclude sector-wide collective agreements on access rights. The committee therefore sees no reason for its own initiative and rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 13 (S, V)
The reservation (S, V) wants the government to come back with a proposal to give regional safety representatives a right of access to all workplaces with a collective agreement. The reasoning is that safety representatives play a vital role where no local safety organization exists, but that today's membership requirement creates practical problems in industries with mobile workplaces, temporary employment, and high staff turnover, such as staffing agencies.
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 13 by S, V.
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 | No | No 0/20/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| S | No | No 0/94/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | Yes | Yes 13/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/10 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2022/23:57 by Ciczie Weidby et al. (V) item 5, 2022/23:692 by Azra Muranovic et al. (S) item 3, 2022/23:1446 by Aida Birinxhiku (S), 2022/23:1961 by Gunilla Carlsson (S), 2022/23:2052 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S) item 18, and 2022/23:2134 by Leif Nysmed and Lars Mejern Larsson (both S).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:57 av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V) yrkande 5, 2022/23:692 av Azra Muranovic m.fl. (S) yrkande 3, 2022/23:1446 av Aida Birinxhiku (S), 2022/23:1961 av Gunilla Carlsson (S), 2022/23:2052 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) yrkande 18 och 2022/23:2134 av Leif Nysmed och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S).
Riksdag decision: Parliament said no to approximately 80 proposals in motions from the general motion period of 2022 concerning working environment and working hours. Parliament refers, among other things, to ongoing work and to the parties' responsibility in the Swedish labor market. The motions concern, for example, preventive workplace environment work, workplace crime, safety representatives and safety committees, the Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket) and the working hours act.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to integrate workplace safety education into vocational training and establish a commission to address fatal workplace accidents. (S, V) — Reservation 13
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 requires that law strengthens union influence over the working environment and prevents employers from disclaiming responsibility through chains of contracts, and that local union rights are built up.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that law strengthens union influence over the working environment and prevents employers from disclaiming responsibility through chains of contracts, and that local union rights are built up. Regional safety representatives' access to all workplaces with collective agreements is precisely such a strengthened protection in sectors with mobile workplaces. The demand is therefore supported.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att lagen stärker fackens inflytande över arbetsmiljön och förhindrar att arbetsgivare friskriver sig via kedjor av kontrakt, samt att de lokala fackliga rättigheterna byggs ut. Regionala skyddsombuds tillträde till alla arbetsställen med kollektivavtal är just ett sådant förstärkt skydd i branscher med rörliga arbetsplatser. Kravet stöds därför.
- legally established union workplace influencedecisive»Lagen ska stärka fackens inflytande« (party programme ↗)“Law should strengthen union influence”
- employer responsibility in contract chains»förhindra arbetsgivarens praktiska ansvarsfriskrivelse genom olika kedjor av kontrakt« (party programme ↗)“prevent the employer's practical disclaimer of responsibility through various chains of contracts”
- strengthened local union rights»De lokala fackliga rättigheterna bör stärkas genom ökade« (party programme ↗)“Local union rights should be strengthened through increased”
- strong labour law»Vänsterpartiet kommer att fortsätta försvara förhandlingsrätten och en stark arbetsrättslagstiftning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party will continue to defend the right to negotiate and strong labour law.”
The party programme makes strong union organizations necessary to advocate for workers' interests in workplace environment issues and demands strong labour law legislation as protection.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes strong union organizations necessary to advocate for workers' interests in workplace environment issues and demands strong labour law legislation as protection. The election manifesto establishes that no one should be able to gain competitive advantages by neglecting the work environment and demands action against occupational crime, which is particularly common in industries with mobile workplaces. Expanded access rights for regional safety representatives follows from this.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör starka fackliga organisationer nödvändiga för att hävda de anställdas intressen i arbetsmiljöfrågor och kräver stark arbetsrättslig lagstiftning som skydd. Valmanifestet slår fast att ingen ska kunna vinna konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma arbetsmiljön och kräver krafttag mot arbetslivskriminaliteten, som är särskilt vanlig i branscher med rörliga arbetsplatser. Utökad tillträdesrätt för regionala skyddsombud följer av detta.
- union occupational safety workdecisive»organisationer är nödvändiga för att hävda de anställdas gemensamma intressen vad gäller« (party programme ↗)“organizations are necessary to advocate for the workers' common interests concerning”
- no profit from poor work environment»Det ska aldrig löna sig att begå brott eller skaffa sig konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma de anställdas rätt till en trygg arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should never pay to commit crime or gain competitive advantages by neglecting workers' right to a safe work environment.”
- action against occupational crime»Krafttag mot arbetslivskriminaliteten. Arbetslivs kriminalitet ska inte finnas på svensk arbetsmarknad och offentliga arbetsgivare och upphandlare ska vara föredömen i att verka för en sund konkurrens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Action against occupational crime. Occupational crime should not exist on the Swedish labour market and public employers and purchasers should be models for promoting fair competition.”
- statutory protection for employees»arbetsrättslig lagstiftning behövs som skydd för de anställda.« (party programme ↗)“labour law legislation is needed as protection for employees.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan safeguards the Swedish model and wants to encourage union membership and give workers influence over the content of work and working conditions.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan safeguards the Swedish model and wants to encourage union membership and give workers influence over the content of work and working conditions. Regional safety representatives are the tool that provides this protection at workplaces lacking local safety organization, particularly in sectors with mobile workplaces. Expanded access rights under collective agreements therefore follows from the plan's commitment to good working conditions for all employees.
Original (Swedish)
Planen värnar den svenska modellen och vill uppmuntra facklig organisering samt ge arbetstagarna inflytande över arbetets innehåll och arbetsmiljön. Regionala skyddsombud är det verktyg som ger detta skydd på arbetsställen som saknar lokal skyddsorganisation, särskilt i branscher med rörliga arbetsplatser. Utökad tillträdesrätt vid kollektivavtal följer därför av planens åtagande om god arbetsmiljö för alla anställda.
- the Swedish modeldecisive»Vi värnar den svenska modellen där arbetsmarknadens parter gemensamt förhandlar« (party programme ↗)“We safeguard the Swedish model where labour market parties jointly negotiate”
- encourage union membership»Modellen bygger på att en hög andel av arbetstagarna är fackföreningsanslutna« (party programme ↗)“The model is based on a high proportion of workers being union members”
- right to good working conditions»god fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“good physical and psychosocial working environment.”
- influence over working environment»Vi vill värna en fungerande arbetsrätt och ge« (party programme ↗)“We want to safeguard functioning labour law and give”
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's guiding principle is that the labour market's rules should primarily be set by the parties themselves rather than through legislation.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's guiding principle is that the labour market's rules should primarily be set by the parties themselves rather than through legislation. A statutorily mandated right of access to all workplaces with collective agreements instead expands regulation and imposes new requirements on primarily small employers. The plan instead commits to being small businesses' best friend and cleaning up the regulatory jungle.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande princip är att arbetsmarknadens spelregler i första hand sätts av parterna själva i stället för genom lagstiftning. En lagstadgad tillträdesrätt till alla arbetsställen med kollektivavtal utvidgar i stället regleringen och lägger nya krav på i huvudsak små arbetsgivare. Planen utfäster tvärtom att vara småföretagens bästa vän och rensa i regelträsket.
- parties before legislationdecisive»arbetsmarknadens parter i stället för genom lagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“labour market parties rather than through legislation.”
- small business conditions»Därför kommer Centerpartiet alltid att vara småföretagens bästa vän i svensk politik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, the Centre Party will always be small businesses' best friend in Swedish politics.”
- reduced regulatory complexity»Rensa upp i regelträsket för entreprenörer, stora som små.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Clean up the regulatory jungle for entrepreneurs, large and small.”
The plan establishes that conditions on the labour market shall in the main be determined through agreements and not by law and that trade union freedom and collective agreements are a part of freedom of contract.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that conditions on the labour market shall in the main be determined through agreements and not by law and that trade union freedom and collective agreements are a part of freedom of contract. A statutorily expanded right of access for regional safety representatives to all workplaces with collective agreements goes against that order; the question is suited in the plan's logic to the parties. The plan simultaneously wants to strengthen preventive workplace health work, which pulls in the opposite direction.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att villkoren på arbetsmarknaden i huvudsak ska bestämmas genom avtal och inte i lag och att den fackliga friheten och kollektivavtalen är en del av avtalsfriheten. En lagstiftad utvidgad tillträdesrätt för regionala skyddsombud till alla arbetsställen med kollektivavtal går emot den ordningen; frågan lämpas i planens logik åt parterna. Planen vill samtidigt att det förebyggande arbetsmiljöarbetet stärks, vilket drar i motsatt riktning.
- conditions in agreement not by lawdecisive»svenska arbetsmarknadsmodellen, där villkoren i huvudsak bestäms genom avtal och inte i lag, bidrar till« (party programme ↗)“the Swedish labour market model, where conditions are in the main determined through agreement and not by law, contributes to”
- trade union freedom and freedom of contract»Den fackliga friheten och möjligheten till kollektivavtal är en viktig del av förenings- och avtalsfriheten.« (party programme ↗)“Trade union freedom and the possibility of collective agreements are an important part of freedom of association and freedom of contract.”
- preventive workplace health work»arbetsrelaterade skador och sjukdomar och bidra till rehabilitering av anställda ska bli tydligare.« (party programme ↗)“work-related injuries and illnesses and contribute to rehabilitation of employees shall become clearer.”
The plan requires a high level of ambition in occupational health and safety laws and occupational protection that covers both physical and mental health, which argues that safety representatives should have access where local safety organization is lacking.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires a high level of ambition in occupational health and safety laws and occupational protection that covers both physical and mental health, which argues that safety representatives should have access where local safety organization is lacking. Strong and independent trade unions are described as an indispensable part of a democratic society. However, the plan leaves the design of labor market arrangements to the parties, which makes the conclusion uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en hög ambitionsnivå i lagarna om arbetsmiljö och ett arbetarskydd som omfattar både fysisk och psykisk hälsa, vilket talar för att skyddsombud får tillträde där lokal skyddsorganisation saknas. Starka och oberoende fackföreningar beskrivs som en oundgänglig del av ett demokratiskt samhälle. Planen lämnar dock utformningen av arbetsmarknadens ordningar till parterna, vilket gör slutsatsen osäker.
- high ambition in occupational health and safety workdecisive»En hög ambitionsnivå ska prägla lagar och« (party programme ↗)“A high level of ambition should characterize laws and”
- strong trade unions»Starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar« (party programme ↗)“Strong and politically independent trade unions”
- broad occupational protection»arbetsmiljö ska ta hänsyn till såväl fysisk som psykisk« (party programme ↗)“working environment should take into account both physical and mental”
- the parties design the arrangement»Utformningen ska göras av arbetsmarknadens parter.« (party programme ↗)“The design should be done by the parties of the labor market.”
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 programme gives property rights and business freedom strong protection and asserts the individual against collectivism.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The programme gives property rights and business freedom strong protection and asserts the individual against collectivism. An expanded right of access for regional safety representatives to all workplaces, regardless of membership, expands an organization's authority over others' workplaces and increases the administrative burden on companies, which the plan wants to reduce. The access right of safety representatives is not explicitly addressed, so the conclusion is derived from these principles.
Original (Swedish)
Programmet ger äganderätten och näringsfriheten ett starkt skydd och hävdar individen mot kollektivismen. En utökad tillträdesrätt för regionala skyddsombud till alla arbetsställen, oavsett medlemskap, utvidgar en organisations befogenheter över andras arbetsplatser och ökar företagens regelbörda, vilket planen vill minska. Skyddsombudens tillträdesrätt berörs inte uttryckligen, varför slutsatsen härleds ur dessa principer.
- strong business freedomdecisive»Äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd i« (party programme ↗)“Property rights and business freedom shall have strong protection in”
- the individual against collectivism»hävda individen mot kollektivismen« (party programme ↗)“assert the individual against collectivism”
- reduced administrative burden»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one third of companies' administrative costs and one third of red tape”
The plan wants to depoliticise occupational safety work and wind down politically controlled trade union preference when safety representatives are appointed, with power moved to staff at the workplace.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to depoliticise occupational safety work and wind down politically controlled trade union preference when safety representatives are appointed, with power moved to staff at the workplace. Expanding the trade unions' regional safety representatives' right of access to all workplaces with collective agreements goes in the opposite direction. The plan instead wants all wage-earners regardless of trade union membership to be included in occupational safety work.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill avpolitisera arbetsmiljöarbetet och avveckla politiskt styrda fackförbunds företrädesrätt när skyddsombud utses, med makten flyttad till medarbetarna på arbetsplatsen. Att utvidga de fackliga regionala skyddsombudens tillträdesrätt till alla arbetsställen med kollektivavtal går i motsatt riktning. Planen vill i stället att alla löntagare oavsett facklig tillhörighet inkluderas i arbetsmiljöarbetet.
- depoliticise occupational safety workdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill avpolitisera arbetsmiljöarbetet genom att avveckla politiskt styrda fackförbunds företrädesrätt att utse skyddsombud.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to depoliticise occupational safety work by winding down politically controlled trade unions' preference to appoint safety representatives.”
- power with staff»Makten att utse lokala skyddsombud ska i första hand ligga hos medarbetarna på berörd arbetsplats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The power to appoint local safety representatives should primarily lie with staff at the affected workplace.”
- independent of trade union membership»Alla löntagare, oavsett avtal eller facklig tillhörighet, ska inkluderas i arbetsmiljöarbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All wage-earners, regardless of agreement or trade union membership, should be included in occupational safety work.”
- no special trade union status»Avpolitisera arbetsmiljöarbetet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Depoliticise occupational safety work”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:AU8)
- Committee report full text (HA01AU8)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1062 — Arbetsmiljöverket av Leif Nysmed och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1153 — En arbetsskadeförsäkring i behov av förändring av Julia Kronlid m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1166 — Tryggare anställningar och en hållbar arbetsmiljö av Leif Nysmed och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1228 — En fungerande sjukförsäkring av Ida Gabrielsson m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1245 — Ordning och reda på arbetsmarknaden av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1295 — För jämställda villkor - arbetsskor till omsorgs- och förskolepersonal av Sanna Backeskog (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1304 — Inga dödsfall på jobbet av Åsa Eriksson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1446 — Utökad tillträdesrätt för regionala skyddsombud av Aida Birinxhiku (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1558 — Trygghet för skyddsombud av Aida Birinxhiku m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1565 — Mer jämställd arbetsmiljö av Zara Leghissa m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1598 — Stärkt forskning om arbetsmiljö och arbetsliv av Zara Leghissa m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1612 — Lagstiftning för distansarbete av Martina Johansson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1672 — En levande landsbygd för Sveriges bästa av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1717 — Kostnadsfria arbetsskor för vårdpersonal av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1961 — De regionala skyddsombudens tillträdesrätt av Gunilla Carlsson (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2021 — Arbetslivskriminalitet i skattefinansierade verksamheter av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2022 — En mer jämställd arbetsmiljö av Inga-Lill Sjöblom m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2052 — Utgiftsområde 14 Arbetsmarknad och arbetsliv av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2061 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2087 — Ett permanent statligt lyft för personal i hälso- och sjukvård, vård och omsorg av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
Source: The Swedish Parliament