LO creates alliances for a social protocol through Treaty change

Collective agreement "I am happy that the Prime Minister accepted my initiative to arrange a meeting to create alliances with the countries where the issue of a social protocol is important", Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson says in an interview, referring to a meeting that will take place between social democratic political and trade union leaders from Sweden, Germany and Austria next week.

Published 2014-12-01 Updated 2015-03-27

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(Based on an interview with LO President Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, published in Dagens Nyheter on 19 November 2014)

The topic of the meeting will be the consequences of the Laval judgement by the European Court of Justice in 2007, which according to the labour movement has resulted in undermined security for workers.

"Changing the rules within the framework of the Laval judgement will not suffice. There is already a process going on in this regard within the EU and on the national level, also in Sweden", Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson continues.

"Ever since the 1970s, the European case law has shown a bias to the benefit of economic freedoms. We therefore need a long-term solution, which will actually eliminate the underlying problem, i.e. that workers’ rights are subordinate to economic freedoms".

"We hope that more countries will be interested in joining the alliance for a Treaty change. We have already been contacted by Portugal; discussions are going on with the Netherlands and we will also contact France, inter alia.

We need support from several countries if we are to be successful in exerting influence in connection with a Treaty change. This is a long-term process that will take time".