Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Sten Gellerstedt Research officer The Swedish Trade Union Confederation LO

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 How a trade unions can use the Stress Agreement Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 How a trade union can use the Stress Agreement A. The Swedish legal and contractual framework. B. Swedish unions implementation of the Stress Agreement C. How to use the Stress Agreement ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 The legal framework The legislations requirements of the work: “ Technology, work organisation and job content shall be designed in such a way that the employee is not subjected to physical or mental strains which can lead to ill-health or accidents.” Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden BBbBBb

ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 The legal framework The legislation states: “The employee shall be given the opportunity of participating in the design of his own working situation and in processes of change affecting his work. Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden BBbBBb

ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Legal binding provisions Systematic Work Environment Management, which employers has to follow. These rules include trade union participation.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Systematic work environment management - five steps Follow up Implement Find solution Assess risks Policy and routines Based on EC Directive 89/391/EEC: Improvement safety and health of workers at work.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Assess risks Find solutions ImplementFollow up Policy & Routines Systematic work environment management A wheel for monitoring & control of health and safety, with Policy and Routines as the hub

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Systematic work environment management The trade unions like it -We are involved early, -can call for investigations, -can give suggestions -Motivate us and gives us time to talk about H&S -However, we are only advisors, we can’t impose sanctions

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Step 1. Agree on a policy and routines The policy concerning working conditions and routines for the management of the human factor. The outcome of the policy should regularly be discussed within the work team. We try to get a policy in the collective agreement.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Step 2. Assess risks When larger changes to the activity are being planned or if a team meets problems, risk assessment shall be performed. Findings shall be discussed within the team. We can require such an assessment

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Step 3. Find solutions The work team shall be involved in developing the solutions.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Step 4. Implement Measures and solutions should be settled upon and carried out. Measures which cannot be fulfilled immediately shall be entered into a plan. The plan should have a clear scheduling, indicating priorities and responsible persons.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Step 5. Follow up The results of the accomplished measures should be monitored as well as the fulfilment of the plan. Key indicators should be used that verify accomplishment or the necessity of further actions, e.g. revisions of routines.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October % says yes in industry - 33% women says yes in the service sector Answer: Not yet Does this management system work?

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October An agreed translation is ready - A letter of intention on the implementation in the private sector - Soon a letter of intention in the municipal sector Swedish unions implementation

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October We have guidelines and education programmes dealing with stress at work and its effects. - Seminar are planned to be held with member organisations of how to apply the Stress Agreement. - High work intensity at low manning are among questions to be solve. Swedish unions implementation

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Supplement the Systematic Work Environment Management Act a collective agreement on: - Tools for identifying and assessing problems. - A procedure of how to take a dispute when you do not agree C. How to use the Stress Agreement

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Pain in neck and shoulders Assess risk

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Both technical and organisational reasons

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Find solutions 1.Gather the safety representatives 2.Discuss solutions 3.Take an initiative: improve your collective agreement Use the Stress Agreement as an argument.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Find solutions Motivate your own trade union leadership Set up a working group with the employers organisation Joint meetings with employers, main customers (if needed), work environment authorities and external expertise,

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Which way?

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Does it work? Answer – it happens If the members are active and push the question. The employer has to report to his organisation that his workers want to sole the problem.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 How to get information from the workers into the agreement? Obstacles, the union H&S officer: Has limited time Limited knowledge about stress Can’t argue in favour of specific details

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Tasks for the union Convince the union leadership to allocate resources Make priorities –Education and training about stress –Identify most important problems –Create a simple net-work and report system Participate in the national groups Apply for government money

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 You remember this?

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Trade union pushed for good standards and job-rotation

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 Talk to each other … just as an operator assesses his machine from listening to its sound, so may the team learn to diagnose their well-being by talking about it and listening to each other.

Sten Gellerstedt, LO, Sweden ETUC seminar in RIGA October 2005 United we stand