Labour law and work environment

Sweden should be an attractive destination for talent and international expertise. The Government has therefore approved a bill comprising proposals aimed at improving the conditions under migration law for researchers, doctoral candidates and students. The bill also aims to counter abuse of residence permits granted for studies.

Sweden aims to take a leading role in artificial intelligence. The Government is now presenting a new AI strategy with the aim of providing more effective government agencies, clearer rules for businesses and better conditions for research. The objective is for Sweden to be among the world’s top 10 countries in the field of AI.

Fighting work-related crime is a priority area for the Government. For this reason, the Government has approved a bill with proposals aiming to introduce more stringent conditions for labour immigration and counteract fraud and work-related crime, while still promoting immigration of highly-skilled labour.

In the Budget Bill for 2025, the Government proposes allocated funds to the Swedish Work Environment Authority for stricter and more effective supervision to prevent fatal accidents and other work environment risks. It also includes developing the selection of workplaces for inspection to ensure that the supervision is directed to a greater extent at the workplaces where the risk is greatest. To this end, the proposal is that the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s administrative appropriation be increased by SEK 50 million for 2025. The appropriation is then expected to increase by SEK 75 million in 2026 and permanently by SEK 100 million in 2027.

Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard received an inquiry report today entitled ‘New regulations on labour immigration, etc.’ The report contains a number of proposals that aim to make conditions for low-skilled labour immigration more stringent while promoting highly skilled labour immigration.

The Government prioritises efforts to combat work-related crime, which in its most serious forms can involve human trafficking and human exploitation and is often a source of income for the criminal economy. Several regional centres for preventing work-related crime have opened in Sweden in late 2023. Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life and Deputy Minister for Employment Paulina Brandberg attended the opening of the Stockholm centre in mid-November.

The Government’s Budget Bill for 2024 proposes initiatives to combat and prevent honour-based violence and oppression, and racism and discrimination. The Government also intends to take measures to combat wage guarantee abuse. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats. On 20 September, the Government presented the Budget Bill for 2024 to the Riksdag.

Genève, 8 June 2023. Check against delivery.

The European Commission and the Swedish Presidency will jointly review the progress of the Commission’s Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021–2027 at the Occupational safety and health summit in Stockholm on 15–16 May. The themes include mental health at work, the ‘vision zero’ approach to work-related deaths, and the impact of climate change on occupational safety and health (OSH).

On 3–4 May, the EU social affairs and labour market ministers will gather in Stockholm for an informal meeting hosted by Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson and Minister for Older People and Social Security Anna Tenje. Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg will also take part.

The transition package to improve long-term flexibility, adaptability and security in the labour market is based on a proposal from the trade unions and employers within the private sector. All workers gain better opportunities for transition and skills development throughout their working life, and Sweden’s competitiveness is strengthened. This involves a reformed labour law, a new student finance scheme and new basic transition and skills support.

Non-official translation. Amendments: up to and including SFS 2021:1114.

In this Communication, the Government presents its work environment strategy for 2021–2025. The work environment strategy sets out the Government’s long-term policy focus in this area over the next five years.

The Government has adopted a bill to enable Sweden to implement the EU’s revised Posting of Workers Directive. The Government proposes a range of legislative amendments that will create more equal conditions for posted workers and domestic workers.

Everyone who can work should work. More people need to learn Swedish faster and more people who need an education to find work should take the initiative to study. In its 2018 spring amending budget, the Government is therefore investing in strengthening paths to work for more people. The Government is also providing more resources for preventive efforts against sexual harassment in working life, regional safety representatives and summer jobs for more young people.

As head of the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union, Lars Danielsson represents the Government on a range of important EU issues in Brussels. This work offers him an insight into the EU’s political dynamics shared by few others.

The regulations for posting in Sweden are based on the employee organisations having main responsibility for monitoring working and employment conditions for employees posted to Sweden. At the same time, the Swedish Work Environment Authority supervises the working environment of those posted. In order for this control and supervision to function, an amended regulatory framework for notification obligation for posting is proposed in a ministry memorandum from the Ministry of Employment.

Conditions in the transport sector are important in relation to the Government’s work for fair working conditions in the labour market. In a ministry memorandum from the Ministry of Employment, amendments to the Posting of Workers Act are proposed with the aim of clarifying the applicability of the regulatory framework to the carriage of goods by road and improving supervision and regulatory compliance.

Directive 2014/67/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’), abbreviated as the Enforcement Directive, was adopted on 15 May 2014.

Directive 2014/67/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’), abbreviated as the Enforcement Directive, was adopted on 15 May 2014.