SVT Sport reveals: The Swedish Ice Hockey Association is accused of discrimination

The trade union club at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association in November sent an official protest against the union's salary.

In the protest, which went out in November, the union club writes, among other things: "The employer is in complete absence of salary strategy and salary policy" and that "no salary is taken into account in terms of employment time, competence or salary situation for the individual or salary situation compared to colleagues' salary situation. The salary setting does not follow any line at all ”.

They list several cases where they consider that there has been gender-discriminatory pay, where female employees with comparable services and comparable work receive much lower wages than men in similar positions - and significantly lower salary increases. For example, a man has received 4,000 in salary increase, while a woman in a similar position received SEK 750 in salary increase.

However, the union's secretary general, Tommy Boustedt, denies that their pay is unequal.

- Of course, we strive for fair pay and strive for it not to be discrimination on grounds of, for example, age or gender or anything else. That picture is not true, he tells SVT Sport, and continues:

- We are conducting a thorough payroll survey which will show that we have an equal payroll.

The wage negotiations themselves also receive considerable criticism from the union leadership. Several people state that they have not received any salary talks at all, which they are entitled to according to the collective agreement. And the protest that underlies the negotiation that is now underway between the Union and the Employer Alliance shows that many who have received wage talks have received it in ways that have not been satisfactory.

"Two department heads have taken these calls too easily by, for example, taking calls during a walk or coming and asking: 'Do you have time for a while'", it says.

According to sources at SVT Sport, there is a great dissatisfaction at the union that management has not taken labor law issues seriously. Things to MBL (Co-Determination Act) have not done, salary mapping (which is part of the Discrimination Act) has not been done, employees are forced to work more overtime than is actually allowed, and a safety officer (who according to the law must be present at all workplaces with five or more employees) did not exist until a month ago.

- The rules of the collective agreement apply, and then one must have employee interviews, salary talks, development talks and make action plans for those in need - for example for those who have received a low salary increase. These are the same rules that apply to all workplaces that have collective agreements, says Lukas Ringqvist, contract manager in sports at the Union, to SVT Sport, and continues:

- It is a job that needs to be done, but sometimes you may not have a hundred percent check on this, and then we can help.

A safety representative (or health and safety representative, also known as) has been missing for a while and was not appointed until after a case of suspected sexual assault occurred in February.

A union representative then contacted a manager, but he did not take the issue seriously - according to an e-mail sent by the union union club to all employees (though not the managers).

“According to the directive on sexual harassment, the employer must promptly ensure that an investigation is started and completed. Urgent is considered completed within seven days. It has been 19 days and we feel that the employer is unacceptably passive, ”writes the club.

- There is a huge worry about this, there are many who are very worried. We are out on a lot of work, and there are many who worry about what would happen if it were to happen by yourself? "Is there no support for me then? If I am completely alone in that case, ”many think, says an employee of SVT Sport.

However, Boustedt does not agree with the criticism that they did not deal with the issue quickly:

- That's wrong. We conducted an investigation that started the day the incident happened, and it was finished after 14 days. According to the employers' alliance's lawyers, it is an investigation that is completely "by the book" and is done correctly according to the law, he says.

You can't feel that you should have informed more about what you did early in the process?

- When it comes to these types of investigations, they are classified because it is a lot of information. You have to protect the person and not have the right to go in and explain details and the like.

Anders Feltenmark was the chairman of the union club at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, and the one who finally filed a police report for the sexual offense.

However, he was dismissed on March 31, citing lack of work. A news that Sportbladet reported earlier. However, according to several people with whom SVT Sport has been in contact, several of the union are convinced that he was fired as a penalty for reporting the police and the union work.

- Many people just thought, "Well, that's how they solved it." After all, it looks incredibly strange that only one person is allowed to go, especially in this situation. In particular, "Feltis", which has always been first in place and stayed late and sent press releases on basically all hours of the day, says another source.

However, precisely the case of Feltenmark, who does not want to comment on what has happened, has caused many to become very worried. Most people with whom SVT Sport has been in contact have not dared to speak, although they are guaranteed anonymity. And those who talk have wanted to have all communication via their private phones, and not their work phones.

- It is totally sick that you have to feel that way, but it proves pretty much. People are so scared and scared that it is completely crazy, says one person.

However, Buustedt has a hard time understanding that picture.

- I have always thought that you should say what you think, and I also think that we have been high in our discussions about things, he says.

In the past year, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association has been shaken by black headlines several times.

Last fall, the women's crowns went on strike, as they were dissatisfied with both the financial conditions and what they experienced as a lack of respect from the top management of the union.

And just a month ago, SVT Sport was able to reveal that a police investigation is under way, linked to the union, which is a sexual assault investigation against an employee of the union.