ST News at GU November 2026
Publicerad: 2026-11-14
Nyhet In this edition of our newsletter, we provide updates on the ongoing local salary negotiations, among other things. The employer has also recently published its report on communications support, which has caused concern across the organisation, including among staff outside the communications field. We also invite you to the two remaining Coffee with the Union sessions this autumn, where upcoming organisational changes will be a key topic of discussion.
Remember: If you have general questions regarding employment conditions or your ST membership, it’s easiest to contact ST Direkt at 0771–555 444 or stdirekt@st.org. For more local matters, please send us an email and we’ll respond as soon as possible: st@gu.se. You can also speak to our workplace representatives and faculty representatives.
Update on Local Salary Negotiations
This year's salary negotiations have been underway for a couple of weeks and are progressing according to plan. The aim is for the new salaries, including retroactive pay, to be paid with the December salary. For this year's salary review, the employer has allocated a salary increase budget equivalent to three per cent.
Further Organizational Changes, including in Communications
The autumn semester continues to be marked by organizational changes, as several faculties at the University of Gothenburg (GU) are facing cutbacks affecting both teaching staff and technical and administrative staff. Elected representatives of the ST section board are actively supporting members in various ways, both individually and through members' meetings, staff meetings and Coffee with the Union sessions. ST's faculty representatives are also monitoring the organizational changes through regular negotiations with the employer.
The employer's report on the review of communications support was published recently. Communications support is the first area to have been examined as part of the major ongoing review of administrative and support services. If all the proposals are implemented, 24 positions within communications will be eliminated. According to the report, this represents a 15 per cent reduction in staffing and savings of approximately SEK 24 million.
The trade unions have not yet been informed about the proposals in the report or the next steps in the process, but we expect the matter to be discussed at the next consultation under the Co-Determination Act (MBL) within the Central University Administration.
There is considerable concern among our members and other employees working in communications support. On 17 November, GU's Head of Communications will hold an information meeting for staff. The following day, 18 November, the ST section board at GU will organize a Coffee with the Union session, where we will gather feedback from our members on the proposals presented in the report (see below).
You can also read comments on the report by Anna Nilsson, Vice-Chair of the ST section board, in Publikt (Swedish): Sparpaket oroar anställda på Göteborgs universitet.
Coffee with Your Union Representatives (“Fika med facket”)
Our coffee sessions at GU workplaces continue during the autumn, with two more occasions. Both ST members and other GU employees are welcome, so please feel free to invite one or more colleagues. The upcoming scheduled Coffee with the Union sessions are:
- Wednesday 18 November, 4.00-5.30 pm, in “Matsalen”, at the School of Business, Economics and Law. On this occasion, we will focus on gathering your views on the suggestions presented in the report about Communications Support. “Matsalen” is in the main building on Vasagatan 1, (A-house), on floor 6. Elevators are to the left of the reception.
- Wednesday 9 December, 4.00-5.30 pm, at the Faculty of Humanities. The exact location and theme will be announced closer to the event.
Several Serious Shortcomings in Doctoral Students’ Working Environment
The report How Are Doctoral Students Doing? 2026, which we have previously covered in this newsletter, highlights several serious problems concerning doctoral students’ working environment. These include stress, working overtime, discrimination, working while ill, not taking annual leave, inadequate supervision, and insufficient introduction to doctoral studies.
All materials relating to the survey have now been published on the ST website. In addition to the main report, these include a separate report on the situation of international doctoral students and recordings of the seminars at which the reports were presented. The survey has also been featured in the latest issue of GU Journalen (page 4-5): Good supervisors, but tough conditions for PhD students.
The University of Gothenburg is one of the higher education institutions included in the survey. The ST section board is therefore planning to organize a seminar early in the spring semester for doctoral students and other interested participants. The aim is to discuss the findings and explore how we can strengthen our local efforts to improve doctoral students’ working environment and employment conditions.
ST’s Work for Climate Transition
Like several other unions, ST has decided to work actively on climate transition issues in the workplace. The ST section at GU has a climate group that works to share good practices and monitor climate-related issues within the University. If you would like to learn more or get involved in the union’s climate work, please contact us at st@gu.se!
Read more: The climate transition | Fackförbundet ST.
Guardians of Democracy
Have you seen ST’s Guardians of Democracy campaign? It can now be spotted on buses and trams throughout Gothenburg and has attracted a great deal of positive attention, both for its humorous illustrations and for highlighting the vital role that all government employees play in upholding a democratic society. It is also worth mentioning that the animated films and illustrations are not AI-generated but have been handcrafted by Brikk Animation.
Read more on ST’s website: Guardians of Democracy