Healthcare union critical of Region Norrbotten: "Crisis situation but without payment"

According to the collective agreement, the Norrbotten region claims that they are entitled, among other things, to relocate staff within the region and to relocate in operations.

On the other hand, the health association in Norrbotten thinks that the region points a little with the whole hand without negotiating with them.

"What the employer is doing now is to set up the organization as if it were a crisis situation but without paying us for the work we do," says Elisabeth Lindblad, Deputy Chair of the Care Association in Norrbotten.

There is a crisis situation agreement that is written centrally within the trade union that can be triggered.

- This means that it is a crisis in society and the employer can control resources and manage working hours, but it also means that it costs much more for the employer, says Elisabeth Lindblad.

- Right now, it feels a bit like you are steering in the direction of the crisis agreement without triggering the crisis agreement.

Karin Jonsson, a member of the Healthcare Association in Norrbotten, says that almost all the members she has been in contact with have a great and strong will to help and get through the situation. At the same time, she believes that there is uncertainty in the redistribution of staff.

According to the member, it is primarily about nurses who do not usually work with emergency care or care of infectious patients.

The health care association believes that there should be a volunteer with the employees and that they should feel ready to work in the wards with covid patients.

Karin Larsson is HR director in the Norrbotten Region and believes that the crisis situation agreement should be activated when all other measures have been taken within the collective agreements that exist.

- We do not see that we have exhausted all possibilities in the ordinary collective agreement.

If the region makes business changes, Karin Larsson says that they should inform about it, while at the same time she believes that there is the possibility, in the collective agreement that exists, to temporarily move staff from their regular duties to other duties. Quick decisions may be required.

Can Region Norrbotten be sure that care will be patient-safe if, for example, staff who do not normally work with the care of infectious patients should now do so?

- We clearly look at each individual's previous competence and what they have with them for experience before deciding in what function that person is employed. The introduction is a challenge in this situation as it requires quite quick efforts, but we still find it very important.