On Easter, four authorities made a play, which diminished the importance of the decision where the Swedish Work Environment Authority demanded both visor and oral protection in all close contact with covid patients at the Serafen retirement home in Stockholm.

SVT recently revealed that the municipal employers' organization SKR played an important role behind the scenes in the process that preceded the play. Our review has also shown that the Swedish Work Environment Authority has adjusted its position on the matter itself, and among other things deleted an expert opinion which stated that only visors do not protect against covid.

Now LO's chairman Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson joins the critics.

- Of course, this is a real scandal. It is very upsetting and surprising that they have entered the discussion in this way.

Contacted before the meeting

At the same time, SVT's continued review shows that the meeting between SKR and the authorities was known in the Government Offices.

Social Minister Lena Hallengren's State Secretary Maja Fjaestad (S) was contacted by SKR before the meeting was to be held. She had a staff member call back, and that person also got information from SKR after the meeting.

Maja Fjaestad says she understood that the meeting would be held because of the safeguard stop at Serafen but says the ministry had no opinion on this.

- A safety stop is a decision we are not in, but it goes directly to the Swedish Work Environment Authority. It is not a political issue but a matter of government.

Did not respond

She herself informed the Ministry of Labor, which also received information about the meeting from the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

Was there anything in the information that SKR would call four authorities to talk about these things that made you react?

- It was not described to me as that SKR called for a meeting, then I would have reacted. It was described that the authorities would have a meeting and SKR would be present at the meeting.

Trade union representatives have thus reacted strongly to the fact that four authorities had a meeting with the employers' organization SKR about a protection stop without the union's participation. But Maja Fjaestad did not respond to that.

- I did not respond to the meeting being held, but I noted that four authorities and the municipalities' cooperative organization would meet. I took note of that information and did not act on that information in any way.

Lena Hallengren says she is not aware of the meeting.

- I have no transparency in the process, and think it is important that the policy does not decide which protective equipment to use when.

Do you know more about this? Contact SVT's reviewing reporter.