Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Swedish police release new statistics on shootings and explosions, Stockholm strip club fined for making staff work nights, and what still needs to happen for Sweden to join Nato? Here's the latest news.
Stockholm strip club fined for making staff work night shifts
A strip club in Stockholm, Club Kino, has been fined 6.1 million kronor after Sweden’s Work Environment Authority found that the staff’s working hours are in violation of Swedish law.
Swedish law states that employees are entitled to at least 11 consecutive non-work hours every day, and the period of time between midnight and 5am must be part of that. Some businesses may make exceptions – for example hospitals, restaurants or industries that can’t be switched off at night such as steel plants – but the club does not meet the requirements for this, reports the Arbetet site.
The club insisted in its appeal to court that it had to stay open at night because it can’t attract customers during the day. It also argued that it serves food, so they should be covered by the same exceptions as restaurants. But the court upheld the fine, saying that their food consists only of frozen ready-meals from a microwave, so the strip club can’t be considered a restaurant.
Arbetet reports that the company doesn’t have a collective bargaining agreement for its employees, which in some cases also makes allowances for night shifts between midnight and 5am.
Swedish vocabulary: a night shift – ett nattskift
Increase in reported drug shortages in Sweden
Around 1,000 drugs – including medicines for diabetes, epilepsy and heart disease – are currently listed as out of stock in Sweden, according to the Swedish Medical Products Agency, reports Swedish newswire TT.
That’s an increase, with 500 new reports of shortages submitted to the agency in the past month, a figure that’s normally an average of 300 a month. But the increase is likely caused by a new law introduced on July 1st, which threatens to fine drug companies between 25,000 kronor and 100 million kronor if they fail to give the agency at least two months’ notice of probable shortages.
In most cases, drugs that are out of stock can be replaced by other brands.
Swedish vocabulary: a drug – ett läkemedel
New police statistics on explosions and shootings
There were more explosions in the first six months of this year in Sweden than over all of last year, according to preliminary police statistics reported by TT – 91 incidents compared to 90 (in 2019, a total of 133 incidents were reported). These figures include both gang crime and comparatively less serious offences, such as youths for example setting off firecrackers and destroying property.
Southern Sweden saw the highest number of explosions (34), followed by Stockholm (27) and western Sweden (17). But Stockholm had more attempted explosions than anywhere else: 30 unsuccessful attempts in the first six months of the year, compared to only eight attempts over the whole of 2022.
There have however been fewer fatal shootings so far this year. In the first six months of the year Sweden recorded 185 shootings, which injured 63 people and killed 22 people. In the record year of 2022, a total of 63 people were shot dead, of which 34 were killed in the first six months.
Swedish vocabulary: an explosion – en sprängning (which refers to an intentional explosion. If there’s for example a gas explosion in a building, it would be called an explosion in Swedish)
ANALYSIS: What still needs to happen before Sweden can join Nato?
July 5th marks one year since Nato leaders invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance. But while Finland became a member months ago, Sweden is still waiting.
On paper, there are only two steps left before Sweden can officially join Nato: ratification of Sweden’s Accession Protocol to Nato by Turkey and Hungary, followed by Sweden’s government submitting a proposal to its parliament to accept the accession agreement.
But in practice, this is easier said than done.
The Local spoke with a Turkey expert to find out what needs to happen now.
Swedish vocabulary: to invite – att bjuda in
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Stockholm strip club fined for making staff work night shifts
A strip club in Stockholm, Club Kino, has been fined 6.1 million kronor after Sweden’s Work Environment Authority found that the staff’s working hours are in violation of Swedish law.
Swedish law states that employees are entitled to at least 11 consecutive non-work hours every day, and the period of time between midnight and 5am must be part of that. Some businesses may make exceptions – for example hospitals, restaurants or industries that can’t be switched off at night such as steel plants – but the club does not meet the requirements for this, reports the Arbetet site.
The club insisted in its appeal to court that it had to stay open at night because it can’t attract customers during the day. It also argued that it serves food, so they should be covered by the same exceptions as restaurants. But the court upheld the fine, saying that their food consists only of frozen ready-meals from a microwave, so the strip club can’t be considered a restaurant.
Arbetet reports that the company doesn’t have a collective bargaining agreement for its employees, which in some cases also makes allowances for night shifts between midnight and 5am.
Swedish vocabulary: a night shift – ett nattskift
Increase in reported drug shortages in Sweden
Around 1,000 drugs – including medicines for diabetes, epilepsy and heart disease – are currently listed as out of stock in Sweden, according to the Swedish Medical Products Agency, reports Swedish newswire TT.
That’s an increase, with 500 new reports of shortages submitted to the agency in the past month, a figure that’s normally an average of 300 a month. But the increase is likely caused by a new law introduced on July 1st, which threatens to fine drug companies between 25,000 kronor and 100 million kronor if they fail to give the agency at least two months’ notice of probable shortages.
In most cases, drugs that are out of stock can be replaced by other brands.
Swedish vocabulary: a drug – ett läkemedel
New police statistics on explosions and shootings
There were more explosions in the first six months of this year in Sweden than over all of last year, according to preliminary police statistics reported by TT – 91 incidents compared to 90 (in 2019, a total of 133 incidents were reported). These figures include both gang crime and comparatively less serious offences, such as youths for example setting off firecrackers and destroying property.
Southern Sweden saw the highest number of explosions (34), followed by Stockholm (27) and western Sweden (17). But Stockholm had more attempted explosions than anywhere else: 30 unsuccessful attempts in the first six months of the year, compared to only eight attempts over the whole of 2022.
There have however been fewer fatal shootings so far this year. In the first six months of the year Sweden recorded 185 shootings, which injured 63 people and killed 22 people. In the record year of 2022, a total of 63 people were shot dead, of which 34 were killed in the first six months.
Swedish vocabulary: an explosion – en sprängning (which refers to an intentional explosion. If there’s for example a gas explosion in a building, it would be called an explosion in Swedish)
ANALYSIS: What still needs to happen before Sweden can join Nato?
July 5th marks one year since Nato leaders invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance. But while Finland became a member months ago, Sweden is still waiting.
On paper, there are only two steps left before Sweden can officially join Nato: ratification of Sweden’s Accession Protocol to Nato by Turkey and Hungary, followed by Sweden’s government submitting a proposal to its parliament to accept the accession agreement.
But in practice, this is easier said than done.
The Local spoke with a Turkey expert to find out what needs to happen now.
Swedish vocabulary: to invite – att bjuda in
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