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Swedes face toilet paper shortage in wake of strike threat

Published: 10 Apr 12 17:50 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40186/20120410/

The threat of a toilet paper shortage looming large over Sweden on Wednesday after a labour union warned it would block deliveries from several Swedish toilet paper factories in a show of solidarity with another union group negotiating for higher pay.

"We're going to block goods from leaving factories in Lilla Edet, Marestad, Pauliström, and Nyboholm," Matts Jutterström of the Pappers labour union told the labour trade publication Dagens Arbete.

The action, which is set to go in effect on April 23rd, could wipe out toilet paper and paper towel supplies in stores across Sweden.

Pappers' threat to stop toilet paper deliveries is meant as a show of support for protracted wage negotiations between the Commercial Employees' Union (Handels) and the Svensk Handel retail employers association.

The two parties have failed to come to an agreement about higher wages, with Handels warning in late March that around 4,700 workers would go on strike on Friday, April 13th if no wage agreement is struck.

The stores likely to be affected by the Handels strike include Bauhaus, Ikea, Lindex, Rusta, Willys, Ica, Clas Ohlson, among others.

In addition to Pappers, the construction workers union Byggnads also announced on Wednesday its members would strike on April 20th in a show of solidarity with the Handels workers.

"It's obvious that we as construction workers must support our wives, girlfriends, daughters and friends in their fight for equal pay," Byggnads negotiating representative Torbjörn Johansson said in a statement.

A mediator has been called in to help get negotiations between the commercial employees union and the retail employers association back on track.

While the union has demanded a 4.5 percent pay raise, Svensk Handel has only offered a 2.6 percent hike in pay.

TT/The Local/dl
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18:44 April 10, 2012 by dizzymoe33
Time to use the newspaper or the leaves from the trees!!
19:56 April 10, 2012 by acidcritic
There is no problem. There are plenty of newspapers very good to replace toilett paper. In fact, they are toilett papper. For example. Financial Times, New York Time, Svenska Dagsbladet, Der Spiegel, Vatican´s Observatory,all the newspapes of Thrumph and others.
21:24 April 10, 2012 by Puffin
I would have thought that the lack of milk and meat would be more problematic - but The Local seems to be ignoring the greater problems
22:28 April 10, 2012 by chase101
at least we still got the toilet
00:33 April 11, 2012 by kirub
The latest Swedish weapon of mass destruction? Why didn't I think of this one?
07:51 April 11, 2012 by Happy Expat
Oh Shiite what next!
16:34 April 11, 2012 by Svensksmith
Too bad The Local doesn't come in a print edition.
01:28 April 13, 2012 by Joshua Smith
#3 Indian way? bro, you need eastern tiolets then:D..But actually, indian way is cleaner than western..But people dont know that fact!!
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