• Sweden edition
Business & Money

'Crap job' remark lands politician in hot water

Published: 21 Apr 11 15:37 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/33348/20110421/

Social Democrat Karin Wanngård, who will take over after Carin Jämtin as the party's top name in Stockholm City Hall, has landed herself in hot water after calling sales a ‘crap profession’.

Wanngård was presented as Jämtin's replacement on Monday and in an article with daily Dagens Nyheter (DN) on Tuesday she made the statement that has since had a whole profession up in arms in Sweden.

“Young people should not be forced into ‘crap professions’ like being a salesperson working on commission,” Wanngård told DN.

The reactions were quick to follow.

“I was horrified, especially when this comes from the Social Democrats who are supposed to be a workers’ party. In society there is need for all types of work, and who am I to decide what is a ‘crap job’ and what isn’t,” Ewa Samuelsson of the Christian Democrats in the city council told daily Expressen.

“All jobs have to be carried out, and all of us started somewhere”, she continued.

"I don't know if Karin Wanngård has ever worked in telephone sales. I don't know if she thinks there are more 'crap jobs' on the Swedish labour market or who should do them. But what is clear is that not everyone can be the head of multinational giant Hewlett Packard, as she was," the political writer Peter Wolodarski wrote in DN.

According to news agency TT, in the wake of reactions Wanngård felt that her statement has been taken out of its context and blown out of proportion.

But she still wanted to apologise for offending people.

“Let me be very clear. There are in reality no ‘crap jobs’. There are no unimportant tasks, no crap tasks. However, there are jobs with crap conditions,” she said on news site Newsmill in reply to the debate that has arisen around her statement.

Sales people have a very important role to play in any company and deserve respect for the function they perform, she added in the article.

“Let me finally once and for all apologize to all the sales people for what they interpreted as a derogatory comment about their profession,” she wrote.

TT/Rebecca Martin (news@thelocal.se)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

#1
18:40 April 21, 2011 by Njal
She's right.
Report abuse »
#2
20:09 April 21, 2011 by technoviking
I guess something that pays based on actual merit and performance isn't part of the socialist Utopia...
Report abuse »
#3
21:55 April 21, 2011 by miss79
yeah she is HELL right! if no sales, no comission, no money no talk!
Report abuse »
#4
23:52 April 21, 2011 by Nemesis
She is 100% right.

How did someone who is capable of stating a correct fact, get into Swedish politics? What happened?

Sales job in Sweden are at best demeaning and in reality abusive.

Those defending Swedish sales jobs in the press have obviously never done them. A large proportion of those jobs are Praktik based jobs.

I wish more Swedish politicians would follow her example and speak out. That will not happen though, as it would bring the chattering class's in Stockholm in there little bubbles, into conflict with real life.
Report abuse »
#5
00:06 April 22, 2011 by MarkinBoston
I don't know about Sweden, but in the United States, the top sales jobs in the company are among the highest paid. After all, the whole point of any business is selling your product or service. Salespeople are the money-makers of the company.
Report abuse »
#6
10:51 April 22, 2011 by Nemesis
@ MarkinBoston

In Sweden the average sales staff earns barely enough to eat.

Sales staff in Sweden are amongst the lowest paid workers in Sweden. They would be better of on welfare.
Report abuse »
#7
12:49 April 22, 2011 by Marc the Texan
Sales jobs are not crap jobs. The pay might be crappy for most of them, but there was a time when factory jobs had really crappy pay. Then they became some of the best paying jobs. Now factory work doesn't pay as well as it once did. Sales jobs paid much better a few decades ago. Maybe if other areas of the economy produced more jobs then the pool of workers available for sales jobs would shrink and wages would rise.
Report abuse »
#8
20:05 April 22, 2011 by Arturio
I hate Sales people. They gain more money when they cheat more peoples.
Report abuse »
#9
09:01 April 23, 2011 by J. L. Belmar
Stockholm should not have "crap" politicians. Just look at the photo and you'll see what I mean. Besides, she has never known how to think before opening her mouth.That is the main reason she belongs to the political party she belongs. Ask Juholt. He is the master.
Report abuse »
#10
11:36 April 23, 2011 by johnny1939
All jobs should be respected as long as they are honest!!!! I find it "crapper" to be on social assistance. We cannot all be brain surgeons.
Report abuse »
#11
12:29 April 23, 2011 by wenddiver
Professional Sales staff, should always be your highest paid employees, so you attract the very best. I think it was Henry Ford who said -The best workers, newest machinery, Superior Managers, the finest product, wonderful advertising if the Salesman can't sell it's all bust and the company goes out of business. Without the Salesman everybody else goes broke. Every company I have ever run I started the day with meeting with the Sales Force. It is a hard crappy job and that's why it should be financially lucrative. They are the face of your company. Ever see a SAAB add that says sign on the line and go or buy one with just a job! No and they are in trouble, sucessful companies are like successful Dogs they are always available to be petted and make it easy for you. SAAB spends too much time trying to sell the person on the car and not on making it easy to buy the car. The longer they talk about the car and not the buying of the car the more objections the person has to the car itself. If the person didn't like the car, why would they come to the SAAB dealership??? Everybody in the US is elligible to buy a car and it's the Salesman's job to figure out the numbers to make it happen. Obviously they wanted a new car or they wouldn't be at a dealership. This culture that cars are only meant for the rich or Bosses is rubbish and it is the Salesmans job to overcome it for the good of the future Driver and Company.
Report abuse »
#12
14:00 April 23, 2011 by Roy E
Cut her some slack. She's probaby just upset and frustrated that people hold politicians in even lower regard than lawyers and used-car salesmen.

It's better that she lashes out rather than channeling her bitterness into lawmaking.
Report abuse »
#13
18:16 April 23, 2011 by Rishonim
What a foolish woman. She should stick to stuffing up her chest with push-up bra's. I used to be a sales person selling financial services in Wall street earning 3M Kronor per year.
Report abuse »
#14
00:46 April 24, 2011 by Birbun
This politician is an idiot!

I have started as a sale agent paid only through commissions to earn 2,000 Euro/month in my sector working hard and now,after 2 year,I earn in average 12,000 Euro/month.

Every cent I earn it's because the company where I work SALES the products through me.

They paid me after the company has sold its products and the customers have paid the company.Not a cent before.

The nice point is that knowing already all the suppliers and a lot of customers if I'd go self employed I'd earn more than now!
Report abuse »
#15
08:16 April 24, 2011 by Arcticeric
ignorance gone to seed ....
Report abuse »
#16
11:40 April 24, 2011 by krattan
Politicians should be like wooden planks with no personality and no opinions of their own which could possibly offend anyone. Isn't that what we want...

"'I want to live in free society but I never want to be offended again!" Well… then you're an idiot."

Steve Hughes on being offended. To be found on youtube: cycXuYzmzNg
Report abuse »
#17
15:07 April 24, 2011 by online pizza
Sales staff in Sweden are amongst the lowest paid workers in Sweden. They would be better of on welfare.
Report abuse »
#18
15:12 April 24, 2011 by spy
Sales jobs are cr*p, ginger people smell and politicians are all bent. What's wrong with a little generalisation?
Report abuse »
#19
17:41 April 24, 2011 by jmclewis
Everybody needs a place to start from.....very few start as a doctor or a scientist. Sales work is hard at times, working with the public and constantly cleaning up after them. The real Crap Job is the political leaches on the sole of every country on the planet!
Report abuse »
#20
11:21 April 25, 2011 by Borilla
She is correct to the extent that they should not be "forced" into a job IF A JOB FOR WHICH THEY ARE QUALIFIED IS AVAILABLE. Otherwise they will have to earn a living at something else. They don't get to retire at the age of 19. Sadly, this comes from someone who has never held gainful employment but, instead, "worked" her way through the party doing political "crap" jobs until she gained seniority. Having politicians whose hardest work has been to hand out brochures until they move up to handing out BS discuss employment is amusing at best.
Report abuse »
#21
12:44 April 25, 2011 by HYBRED
It looks like a sales person did a poor job of selling her some make-up.
Report abuse »
#22
14:35 April 25, 2011 by J. L. Belmar
They did certainly a poor job. Perhaps she should use "crap" make-up.
Report abuse »
#23
23:17 April 25, 2011 by LeoKinmann
Hello my friends... Let me reveal the truth about why she looks like crap...

Because Sweden is a feminazist country, our female politician refused to use make-up, like those Shanghai babes working for Volvo!!!

http://www.thelocal.se/33324/20110420/
Report abuse »
#24
16:10 April 26, 2011 by krrodman
I have the very best job in the entire world.

I used to work in sales, but it was a crappy job.

Today I collect welfare.

Great job.

Someone else works and pays taxes.

I collect money.
Report abuse »
#25
06:56 April 27, 2011 by Raiha
Love the way Swedes pretend to be evolved whilst meanwhile revealing how misogynistic, racist, and superficial they are. Today there's no racism but...

How she looks, what she wears has NO BEARING on her job, her ability, her intelligence.

Looks like your feminazis are a miserable failure if they haven't beaten that simple truth into you.
Report abuse »
#26
15:51 April 28, 2011 by jamesblish
I'd rather have had a "crap profession" than no profession at all when I was out of work. With a master's degree, I might add. There are idiots on both sides of the political spectrum when it comes to the politics of jobs in Sweden.
Report abuse »
#27
15:33 May 6, 2011 by cogito
@krrodman #24.

+1

Her party would like everybody on the dole. Welfare recipients, dependent on handouts from the gov't, are easily controlled.

Wanngård is destined for a brilliant future in the Soc.Dem. party.
Report abuse »
#28
03:17 May 7, 2011 by Grokh
Shes right.

and reason people settle for crap is because they cant get anything else.

and then people wonder why there is so much depression in the world .

maybe working like an animal with something you hate, with people you dispise, for a bad wage, might not make everyone happy like it usually does -_-x
Report abuse »
#29
13:11 May 7, 2011 by Larry Thrash
I hate sales people as well and politicians are the ones selling the crap the rest of us must pay for.
Report abuse »
#30
11:44 May 10, 2011 by utländsk
She is right, I had a sales job and worked under verys tressful conditions, it was unbearable. It it so demeaning, I saw how people got broken down and made to feel worthless.

The reality for most sales people in sweden is not one of making vast sums of money and getting the appreciation they deserve, it is one of poor pay, overwhelming demands and no appreciation. Sure there are some who do well and love their jobs, but there are so many who just do it as a means to earn a living, but for their sake something needs to be done to improve their working conditions!
Report abuse »
#31
16:02 May 12, 2011 by soultraveler3
She is right and I don't think she was talking about the top 10% of sales jobs that actually earn a decent salary.

I'm pretty sure she meant the other 90% that get paid and treated like crap. A lot of people move through sales jobs while in school. I don't there are many who choose to stay there though.
Report abuse »
#32
16:21 May 12, 2011 by cookiemaster
Young people should be treated the same way when it comes to those main or essential needs such as dignity, pride, and honor of which deprivations starts at already kindergarten age. Young people should have the right and ability to develop independent decisions concerning future employment or careers. Young people shouldn't be raped either with what forceful unemployment is but instead with what should be continuous human development(offered) which would ran parallel to those first jobs...quality of life would that way truly gained enormously in respect to its meaning and not only on paper or as recognized by those who incite severe political ideologies.
Report abuse »
#33
16:06 May 20, 2011 by MarshaLynn
There can be no utopia on earth, because human beings are flawed. Therefore, there is no perfect system. It is popular today for socialists in the western world to make a scapegoat of capitalism. They talk about all the corporate greed and how we should steal from the rich to give to the poor. They push their idea of socialism as though it were a perfect panacea, and that if all would just become one big happy world in a socialistic system, we would achieve utopia. NOT!!! Their are serious downsides to a socialistic/communistic/marxist system. All those kinds of systems share in common the idea that the money a worker earns is not his own. He is required to share most of it with the state in order that it be redistributed to others. In such systems, it is a short step for the government to become dictatorial. Taxation becomes onerous. And those on the receiving end of free handouts become lazy and lack ambition. Plus, the money runs out eventually. Just a matter of time. In capitalism, yes, there are problems, but I would rather deal with those problems because it is a system that permits me freedom and liberty. I succeed or fail based on my own merits. The government does not take too much of my money or tell me what I can or cannot do, where I can or cannot go, etc. The federal govt. of the USA has become too dictatorial and has taken powers it should not have. This is wrong and is being resisted and will be pushed back through our elections.
Report abuse »
#34
07:30 June 2, 2011 by jomamas
IT IS NOT SOCIETIES ROLE TO PROVIDE INTERESTING WORK TO PEOPLE.

You communists are completely and utterly devoid of rationality or common sense.

Young people will do the jobs that needed to be done.

If we can make it interesting for them - then great.
Report abuse »
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Business & Money headlines
Saab CEO 'spied upon' during Swiss Gripen talks

Saab CEO 'spied upon' during Swiss Gripen talks

The CEO of Swedish defence contractor Saab claimed on Friday his phone had been bugged during talks with Switzerland about Saab's sale of 22 Gripen fighter jets. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Three Swedish banks downgraded by Moody's

Three Swedish banks downgraded by Moody's

Moody's Investors Service on Thursday downgraded its long-term ratings on three Swedish banks, believed to be at risk if the European financial crisis deepens. READ (9 COMMENTS) »

Police suspect theft after surprise cash 'windfall'

Police suspect theft after surprise cash 'windfall'

A woman is suspected of theft after she dropped a stash of 1,000 kronor ($140) banknotes in southern Sweden and then fled the scene, while local residents rushed in to gather the loot that was blowing in the wind. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Cheap Norway nappies smuggled via Sweden

Cheap Norway nappies smuggled via Sweden

A gang of Lithuanian diaper smugglers is using Sweden as a transit country to ferry cheap nappies bought in Norway for resale at a stiff markup in eastern Europe. READ (16 COMMENTS) »

Nine of ten tourists 'happy' with Sweden

Nine of ten tourists 'happy' with Sweden

Nearly 17 million foreign tourists visited Sweden in 2011, and almost all of them enjoyed their stay, according to a new report. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Armed thieves escape after highway chaos

Armed thieves escape after highway chaos

Police are searching for the men involved in a dramatic highway robbery in Stockholm on Tuesday night, in which one car was stolen at gunpoint and an armoured transport vehicle was rammed. READ (9 COMMENTS) »

Arla looks to milk UK, German dairy mergers

Arla looks to milk UK, German dairy mergers

Swedish-Danish dairy giant Arla plans to merge with both a German and a British dairy cooperative in a bid to become the largest dairy company in the UK. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

Swedish airline Skyways files for bankruptcy

Swedish airline Skyways files for bankruptcy

Swedish budget airline Skyways Express has cancelled all flights after it and its City Airline subsidiary filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday morning. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

Sweden drifting from 'Swedish model': report

Sweden drifting from 'Swedish model': report

Sweden's historically generous social safety net isn't as robust as it once was, according to a new report, which reveals Sweden has fallen below the average for many other developed countries when it comes to various types of social insurance. READ (39 COMMENTS) »

Swedish printer in South Africa banknote fiasco

An error involving a Swedish printing press has turned into a very expensive headache for South African central bank officials who have been forced to destroy millions of dollars' worth of faulty banknotes. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

More Business & Money

Highlights from Follow Sweden

Meet Sanna, 9 years old

Sanna is one of 2 million people in Sweden under the age of 18. Sweden is seen as a good place to grow up. The law makes sure children are well-protected and defends their rights and any organizations work with children's well-being. Read more »

Strindberg, king of drama

August Strindberg's plays shocked society, dazzled audiences and revolutionized drama. A century after his death, Strindberg, with his powerful, timeless themes, is celebrated around the world. Read more »

Click here to get more from Follow Sweden

Find a new job in Sweden now
26/05 Data architecture and delivery manager
Klarna		 Stockholm
26/05 Experienced SAP Consultant
IBM		 Göteborg
26/05 Healthcare & Life Sciences
IBM		 Göteborg
26/05 Manager, SMB Sales (Nordics)
Google		 Stockholm
26/05 Nordic Inside Sales Specialist
IBM		 Göteborg
26/05 SAP Consultants
IBM		 Göteborg
26/05 Web developer
Klarna		 Stockholm
25/05 Ansvarig Säljare för Utomhusbelysning
GE Home & Business Solutions		 Danderyd
25/05 Ansvarig Säljare för Utomhusbelysning
GE Home & Business Solutions		 Stockholm
25/05 Automation Engineer
Bombardier Transportation		 Västmanland

ALL JOBS »


 
More popular articles »
Latest Business & Money news from Germany
Noticeboard
SHOW ALL NOTICES »
Discuss
FULL INDEX »
JUST THE NEWS »
LATEST TOPICS »
QUALITY ACCOMMODATION ON SWEDISH HIGH COAST
Comfortable Fully Serviced Apartments for Leisure or Business Travel Beautiful surroundings. Internet & Sat TV
www.oldriverhouse.se
Volunteer Venture
Volunteer Venture is dedicated to promoting community tourism by welcoming volunteers and travelers to discover the cultural differences in Nepal as English teaching volunteers, orphanage volunteers, Monk teachers and many more
www.volunteerventure.org/
The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
English Speaking Therapist Stockholm
British-Australian Male Counsellor. Counselling Therapy for Depression, Mental Health, Sex, Relationship & Expat Issues
08-559 22 636 or CLICK HERE
Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English in Stockholm Trained in California Individuals & Couples (08) 93 81 48 FREE phone consultation
Visit anxiousorblue.se
Turning Point Counseling
Turning Point Counselling centre offers the international community of Stockholm a safe space for personal development, counselling and coaching.
http://www.turning-point.se/show.asp
Swedish Down Town
Swedish Down Town PR Consulting and Productions is an innovative business company which provides valuable assistance with Public Relations and Communications in the Swedish and the international market.
www.swedishdowntown.com