ST News at GU April 2025

Reminder: 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, feel free to email us and we’ll respond as soon as we can: st@gu.se. You can also speak to our workplace representatives and faculty officers. 

Salary Negotiations – Results 2024 and Planning for 2025

The new salaries from the 2024 RALS negotiations were paid out in March – unfortunately later than we had hoped, but still earlier than in 2023. The total outcome for members of the ST section was 3.33 percent, calculated across the entire agency. 

All union organizations at GU have, for several years, experienced issues with local wage formation and a lack of respect for the current RALS agreements and the various salary-setting models. As a result, unions have been in contact with their respective national federations and the Swedish Agency for Government Employers (SAGE), leading to the launch of a joint initiative at GU aimed at improving local wage formation and salary processes. The ST section's negotiators welcome this collaborative effort and look forward to working with GU management and other unions to create a more effective, cohesive, and transparent wage-setting process. 

The 2025 agreement negotiations have now begun, and the so-called "benchmark" has already been negotiated by the industrial sector parties. The current RALS agreement within the public sector expires on September 30, and negotiations between the Swedish Agency for Government Employers and the central trade union organizations will begin in early summer. SAGE has long maintained that there should be no centrally fixed negotiation space within the state sector, that total salary increases should stay below the benchmark, and that salaries should be set by the employer through so-called salary-setting dialogues. ST and the larger OFR/S negotiations delegation generally argue for a set negotiation margin (in percent) and that it should not fall below the industry benchmark. So far, no formal demands have been exchanged between OFR/S and SAGE.

Within the ST domain, the main salary-setting model is that union and employer negotiate each member’s salary individually. At the section’s annual meeting in March, members confirmed through the wage policy program that this model should remain in place for the next agreement period at GU. Increasingly, unions report that salary-setting dialogues are not working as intended, and those who have adopted them often advise others not to do the same. 

Statements in Support of Svenska Hamnarbetarförbundet and Palestine Adopted at the Annual Meeting 

The GU section held its annual meeting on March 26, where the board, auditor, and nomination committee for the upcoming period were appointed. Members also decided on upcoming activities, the budget, and the wage policy program. For the first time in many years, two motions were submitted. These resulted in two formal statements from the annual meeting – one addressed to Svenska Hamnarbetarförbundet and the other to GU leadership. 

The statement in support of Svenska Hamnarbetarförbundet was made in light of the ongoing dispute between the union and the employer Gothenburg Roro Terminals, following the company's decision to dismiss Svenska Hamnarbetarförbundet’s vice chairperson, Erik Helgeson. Helgeson has defended the blockade against Israeli military eqipment that the union members decided on – a blockade deemed lawful by the Swedish Labour Court. The ST section views the increasing employer retaliation against union rights and actions with great concern and demands in its statement that the notice of dismissal be withdrawn. The full statement is published her on the website. 

The annual meeting also approved parts of a motion concerning the war in Gaza. As a result of this decision, the ST section board has sent a statement urging the University of Gothenburg and other Swedish universities and government agencies to suspend all cooperation with authorities, universities, and companies linked to the war, for as long as the conflict continues. The full statement to GU leadership is also available here on the website. 

Coffee with Your Union Representatives (“Fika med facket”) 

Want to discuss employment conditions, salary, or work environment issues – or just learn more about what the union does? Then drop by one of our "Coffee with the Union" events. Both ST members and other GU employees are welcome, so feel free to bring one or more colleagues. Here are the upcoming scheduled events: 

• Wednesday, May 7, from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, ST’s office at Karl Gustavsgatan 12B, floor 4.
• Wednesday, June 4, from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, ST’s office at Karl Gustavsgatan 12B, floor 4. 

Current Member Activities and Webinars

Did you know that as an ST member, you can participate in events and educational activities online? When you log in to st.org, you'll find current offerings under “Medlemskap/redan-medlem” Currently available (all in Swedish):

• ”Påverka din lön” – a 25-minute digital course on how to take greater control of your salary development.
• April 28, 11:45 AM–1:45 PM– Webinar on sustainable work environments.
• May 7, 12 PM–12:45 PM – Try Office Chair Yoga.

ST and Union Work on Climate Transition

ST, like several other unions, has committed to actively working on climate transition issues in the workplace. The ST section at GU has formed a new climate group, which will work on spreading good examples and following climate-related issues within the agency. If you're interested in learning more or want to get involved, contact us at st@gu.se!