Last autumn, H&M announced that it would reduce the workforce in 69 stores across the country.

The reason behind the cuts is said to be due to the strained situation for retail trade as more and more people shop online.

The trade union Handelsanställdas confederation is sharply critical of the content of the "offers" sent out to the employees, something that Aftonbladet was the first to report on.

- It is about our members, employees at H&M, who have now been told that their services are to be converted to a significantly lower employment rate.

If you've had a job for 32 hours, you might be offered 18, if you've had one for 22 hours, you might be offered 9. The opportunity for our members to make a living at their job is being removed, and that is of course completely unreasonable, says Annelie Karlsson, vice chairman on Trade.

- You can have been employed at H&M for 25-30 years and still be treated in this way.

"Terribly outdated"

Negotiations with the employer have now begun and Annelie Karlsson hopes that together they will be able to find another solution.

- Instead of offering a dismissal with turn order rules, hours are reduced for everyone.

This is what we call planing.

It is terribly unfashionable to handle the employees in this way, she says.

- It was a few years ago that an employer tried this.

There is a ruling that gave that employer the right to do that, but that doesn't stop us from using all means to influence the decision makers regarding the legislation as well.

H&M: "Competitive market"

SVT Nyheter has asked several questions to H&M, who responded via email.

"We are carrying out a major restructuring within the company to ensure that we can meet customers' ever-increasing expectations and changed shopping behaviors in a highly competitive market.

This entails, among other things, changes and adaptations of our store network and contract structures, to name a few examples.

This is not a question that has to do with the dividend proposal, but it is about how we adapt the business to the current situation."

"Negotiations are still ongoing and out of respect for our store employees, we will not share any further information about the process."

See the reactions from the trade union Handels in the clip above.