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Swedish cops march in low-wage protest
Hundreds of Swedish police officers marched into unemployment offices on Wednesday and started looking for other jobs in a demonstration against the profession's low wages.
Published: 05 Oct 2011 16:55 CET
Hundreds of Swedish police officers marched into unemployment offices on Wednesday and started looking for other jobs in Sweden's major cities in a demonstration against the profession's low wages.
“This is primarily symbolic. Our main goal is to affect our current employers in a positive manner. But I know many, myself included, who are looking at the job market and read employment ads,” police officer Johan Svanestrand told the TT news agency.
Police in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm all demonstrated on Wednesday for higher pay. In Stockholm, around 250 officers at a job centre run by the National Employment Agency (Arbetsförmedlingen) and perused job vacancy listings.
In Stockholm, a rookie police officer earns a monthly salary of around 21,300 kronor ($3,120), taking home about 17,000 kronor including pay for working during non-office hours.
Officers claim that salaries are too low, creating a risk that experienced cops will start to seek employment elsewhere, according to Svanestrand.
He explained that patrol cars may end being manned by officers with less than two years of experience.
“And that they simply bring in new officers and then spit them out the other end,” he said.
Svanestrand also pointed out that low pay results in decreased motivation to work.
“That extra spark that's important for all workplaces to ensure that things are really good is hard to conjure up,” he said.
The Swedish Police Union expressed their support for the officers' protest.
“There has been a growing frustration for some time now, which has become stronger among officers, that their employer don't understand that police today work under lots of pressure and have a very stressful working environment,” union head Lena Nitz said in a statement.
“This displeasure clearly shows that employers' staffing policies aren't working.”
“This is primarily symbolic. Our main goal is to affect our current employers in a positive manner. But I know many, myself included, who are looking at the job market and read employment ads,” police officer Johan Svanestrand told the TT news agency.
Police in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm all demonstrated on Wednesday for higher pay. In Stockholm, around 250 officers at a job centre run by the National Employment Agency (Arbetsförmedlingen) and perused job vacancy listings.
In Stockholm, a rookie police officer earns a monthly salary of around 21,300 kronor ($3,120), taking home about 17,000 kronor including pay for working during non-office hours.
Officers claim that salaries are too low, creating a risk that experienced cops will start to seek employment elsewhere, according to Svanestrand.
He explained that patrol cars may end being manned by officers with less than two years of experience.
“And that they simply bring in new officers and then spit them out the other end,” he said.
Svanestrand also pointed out that low pay results in decreased motivation to work.
“That extra spark that's important for all workplaces to ensure that things are really good is hard to conjure up,” he said.
The Swedish Police Union expressed their support for the officers' protest.
“There has been a growing frustration for some time now, which has become stronger among officers, that their employer don't understand that police today work under lots of pressure and have a very stressful working environment,” union head Lena Nitz said in a statement.
“This displeasure clearly shows that employers' staffing policies aren't working.”
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You also counter possible corruption by removing everyones bonus if one colleague within their station is found to have used illegal means to incriminate someone in order to get their bonus.
Totally agree. Swedish police always seem to keep up law and order when it suits them.
How does a speeding offense compare with those on the Ikaru list - lol.
Arresting someone for speeding is easier to show for your boss..
I don't know where you live but in the Stockholm area the police doesn't do traffic fines. Even hanging up a camera at traffic light to take pictures of people running red lights after which they automatically get a fine send to their home doesnot happen.
So I don't agree with your comment that the police has the wrong focus in their work.