the unions here are worthless, they do nothing for the workers!!!

Living in the US, I have been envious of Sweden's high union membership and the perks that they seem to have as workers, probably gained through collective bargaining, that we so desperately lack in the US. My suggestion is: be careful, the sharks are still in the waters and they want your blood.

bcarroll is right! Be careful Sweden!

There was a time when unions were liberators. Now, they operate far more often as just another special interest group. No one is being worked to death any more - government regulation now takes the place of union protections. And 799 kronor per month? For that much money I'd expect a visit from a prostitute during every work break.

unions here in Sweden is joke, specially hotel restaurant facket (HRF ) They want every month membership fee for nothing, i had experience with HRF, the useless union i ever member of. they are robing everyone for money, the people working for Hrf do not know what is the law in Sweden. one meeting they have different laws and next time they come with new laws. they people working for Hrf has advise me that if the if the case is against big company's then the can help you , and for normal restaurant it is difficult for hrf to get the money from them . Hrf advise you wrong and because the Hrf i lose yours jobs. it is batter to be not member of unions . the union HRF have people working for them who do not know what they are doing. HRF gave me there representative who was the same foreign born national as my employer, they came form same country , and the meeting they were talking in Arabic , what i do not know, i don't think the official language in Sweden is Arabic, HRF other adviser told me and send me latter that i am entitle for more than 100000 krona. bur when that Arab representative came for talk he had different story ,he can not count,and had attitude . i give advise to people to not join Hrf , end of the day you will regret to be member of HRF . People from Hrf told me that i open the case against my employer and they send him latter for money what he did not pay me.i think union spouse to help the member of the union not the employer who use and abuse. Hrf union is like third world unions, useless. HRF is only worried for membership fees , and want to do nothing,give the wrong advise and they are

corrupt.STAY AWAY FORM HRF UNION.

Unions are absolutely great! As a theory... Here in Sweden they are a joke though, a bad one. This is something completelt created by the politicians though as they are the same paople as the ones running LO.

LO = Where S-politicians go after they are done in politics.

There are a number of good unions not connected to LO though. Look it up and join the proper one!

abandon all hope ye who enter into a contract with a union

Unions have much less power in a world of globalized offshoring. Difficult for unions to get any traction until the 3rd world progresses much further with reform of labor standards and working conditions. And that ultimately depends on getting third worlders into the labor force to begin with. Africa hasn't even started yet, so I'm sure we still have at least another generation to go before unions become relevant again.

I joined Handels and found out I didn't belong to this union, then H transfered me to Unionen, but U said I didn't join them for over 3 months, so no one could help me.

I said to the representative of U that: after 2 years' working in Sweden, I learned that only rich people could possible protect themselves.

Even I am extremely exploited by my ex-employer, as I didn't join unions on time, I could only suit ex-employer to the count, how much could I pay?

Around six years ago when I was a sole trader, a union recruiter chased me into the men's room to hand me a membership card. I didn't take it, of course, because I couldn't think of any reason why I should pay monthly dues to a political organization dedicated to raising my taxes and otherwise persecuting me.

As union membership falls, union recruitment activities will shift to lobbying the Riksdag for laws requiring workers to join them. You can imagine the schemes, such as automatic enrollment, card check, forcing non-members to pay dues, etc. Unions won't allow their power and special privileges to erode.

Have you read the new? "only 35 percent of workers aged 16 to 24 are members of unions that are a part of the confederation",

Of course they are not members, they are still studying!!!

Apart of the fact of the unions being effective or not, these kind of news make me angry,

what are they trying to do? Were you in a union at age of 16??????????