The trade union is demanding the biggest wage increase in decades

On Monday, the Confederation of Trade Employees and the employers' organization Swedish Handel presented their respective demands for the upcoming collective agreement negotiations.

The union, which represents employees in grocery trade as well as e-commerce and warehouses, is demanding a wage increase for full-time employees of SEK 1,265 and a commitment to the minimum wage of SEK 1,370.

The wage demand is thus the largest in several decades and is based on the LO coordination.

- For us, this agreement movement is about everyone being able to live on their salary.

We have a situation where many people cannot afford to buy the goods they sell themselves, says Linda Palmetzhofer, union president at Handels.

"Planing must stop"

The union also wants more hours to be offered on each contract to increase the possibility of full-time work.

There are also demands for increased opportunities for time off and shorter working hours for employees who are scheduled for early mornings, evenings and weekends.

- In addition, we want planing to stop.

It is unreasonable that companies that are making a profit and that very recently declared that they will have dividends to their shareholders, at the same time reduce the hours for basically every person in their stores.

It is not modern, we cannot have such a labor market, says Linda Palmetzhofer.

"Wage increases must not be too high"

Swedish Trade does not intend to meet the demands and has in turn responded with unchanged starting wages, "reasonable" wage increases that match the industry mark and increased opportunities for employers to set individual wages.

Business also wants to enable employment forms and scheduling rules that enable staffing based on the business's conditions.

- The recession has already hit trade.

The industry is in a perfect storm where costs are increasing while margins are decreasing.

This must be taken into account when the negotiations now begin.

Wage increases must not be too high and the industry's brand must be protected, says Svensk Handels CEO Sofia Larsen.