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Lars-Anders Häggström, president of the Swedish Commercial Workers Union which represents IKEA workers in Sweden, speaking at the union’s congress in Stockholm on May 25, was sharply critical of IKEA, which is slowing the process to sign a global agreement which would support the right of all employees to join a union.



”Everyone has the right to organise in a union to have better wages, conditions and working environment. It is time that even IKEA understands that. If they have the principle that all IKEA stores should have the same concept and appearance, even the meatballs in its restaurants worldwide, they should be able to have the same policy on attitudes to union organising and union work. That they today have different attitudes in different countries, is nothing less than embarrassment for such a well-known company as IKEA” said Lars-Anders to the applause of the delegates.



UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings in his speech echoed the call for a global agreement with IKEA that gives unions access to workers everywhere in IKEA and respects their right to freely chose union membership and bargain collectively.