IKEM: This is how Sweden should modernize the collective agreements – suggests a German model

THE SWEDISH MODEL

Revise collective agreements and introduce employee agreements. This is suggested by IKEM, which in a new report concludes that Sweden would benefit from following Germany’s example.

– In recent years, Germany has been at the forefront of a labor market where old boundaries between workers and white-collar workers are blurred, which has strengthened both the employer and employee sides. Nobody wants to go back to the old division, says Caspian Rehbinder, responsible for labor market policy at IKEM, in a press release.

The proposal is about creating a single kind of agreement, employee agreement, a common collective agreement for both workers and white-collar workers. IKEM believes that the historical demarcation has led to complex contractual structures and unnecessary bureaucracy. The problems would be reduced with employee agreements, according to IKEM’s report.

– By introducing employee agreements, we can reduce administrative costs and create a more attractive labor market for both Swedish and international companies. It is time for the social partners to take the lessons from Germany and dare to take the step towards a more modern model in Sweden as well, says Henrik Stävberg, head of negotiations at IKEM, in the press release.

Press release: Sweden should modernize the collective agreements according to the German model