Almost 50,000 lorry drivers are set to receive extended contracts and pay rises thanks to a new agreement reached between Sweden’s main road transport association and the country’s Transport Workers’ Union.
The agreement, which provides for salary increases of 5.4% and contract extensions of 29 months, is valid until the end of March 2023. The deal also allows for further salary negotiations to take place in April 2022.
The drivers who will benefit from the deal are those employed by the members of Biltrafikens Arbetsgivareförbund and Transportföretagen, an industry and employer organization for the transport industry and the security industry.
Marcus Dahlsten, CEO of Biltrafikens Arbetsgivareförbund and Transportföretagen, said the agreement would offer stability to both drivers and their employers:
It is valuable that we have signed a new Transport Agreement that hits the spot and gives our member companies peace of mind in a troubled time. As the agreement runs over a period of 29 months, our member companies have stable conditions for a longer period of time. It is of great importance as well as necessary because the corona pandemic has hit society hard and is affecting the industry.
According to Swedish newspaper Transportarbetaren, the salary increases will be divided into four categories depending on how much experience each driver has.
The first category is for those with under 2 years in the profession, who shall receive the base salary. Drivers with 2 to 4 years experience will get an increase of SEK 705 per month (just shy of €69). Employees who have between 4 and 6 years in the profession will benefit from a rise of SEK 818 (almost €80), while those with more than 6 years experience shall receive SEK 850 more per month (almost €83).
Marcus Dahlsten believes the long-term agreement sets the norm for wage increases in the Swedish labour market and also provides good conditions for companies. At the same time, Dahlsten argues that the stability of the agreement shall help the country’s road transport sector to achieve a 70% reduction in emissions by 2030.