Saco's EU Work

To protect the position of academics in a changing labor market, Saco works intensively to monitor and influence the EU legislative process. Our primary goal is to safeguard and further develop Sweden’s unique agreement-based labor market model, in which employers and employees negotiate the rules together. As most other EU countries regulate their labor markets through legislation, there is an ongoing risk that new EU regulations may reduce the space for negotiations between Swedish social partners. This, in turn, would diminish the influence of trade unions over important decisions.

Saco’s EU Objectives:

• Strengthen support for Sweden’s EU membership
• Promote employment, social security, free trade, mobility, and democratic development in Europe
• Make Sweden a more proactive and agenda-setting actor within the EU
• Reinforce collective bargaining models and the influence of trade unions in EU Member States and in the EU-level social dialogue

Saco engages at both national and EU levels. In Sweden, Saco participates in consultations with the government, reference groups, and provides feedback on various EU initiatives each year—often in collaboration with TCO and LO, but also independently.

In Brussels, Saco operates through the joint Swedish trade union office. This office is a vital link connecting Saco’s member unions to the EU political process.

In addition, Saco influences EU policy through the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), a federation of 95 trade union organizations. Alongside LO and TCO, Saco participates in committees and working groups to shape ETUC’s policy positions.