Secure jobs and better childcare coverage among major decisions at Handels’ Congress

Publié: 4 Mai 2016
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UNI’s Swedish affiliate, Handels will work to ensure that full-time open-ended contracts are the norm on the labour market. Handels will promote better childcare coverage during unsociable hours. 

For the first time in Handels’ history an all-women Executive Committee was elected. Linda Palmetzhofer and Elisabeth Brandt Ygeman will join Handels’ President Susanna Gideonsson at the helm.

Following five days of talks and decisions focusing on the themes: Strong Together at Work, Strong Together in Society, Strong Together in Handels and Strong together in the World Handels’ Congress closed with a speech by its President, Susanna Gideonsson.

“We have spent five fruitful days here at Stockholmsmässan and we have achieved what we came here to achieve: decide Handels’ direction and focus over the coming five years. All that is left now is to implement all these great decisions,” said Gideonsson,

“Now we must all together continue our work to improve Sweden’s, and maybe even the world’s, best union,” said Susanna Gideonsson.

Congress also made a number of decisions regarding workplace conditions. These decisions include: that the union will lobby for a law on closed cash handling system, promote the reinstatement of business hours legislation that regulates opening hours, and work to make sure that nobody under 18 has to sell alcohol or tobacco at the till. Congress also decided that Handels should continue to promote job security by demanding that, as a general rule, all jobs should be full-time and open-ended.

Congress also decided that Handels will no longer serve alcohol in any context and that the union will seek LGBTQ certification. Working for increased childcare coverage during unsociable hours and shared parental leave were also among the decisions made by Congress.

Handels, The Commercial Employees’ Union, is the third largest union in The Swedish Trade Union Confederation with approximately 157,000 members. Women make up 65 per cent of the membership and a third of members are aged under 30. Handels has members at approximately 25,000 workplaces. For further information visit: www.handels.se .