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> Initially, Swedish and Nordic clients will be mainly served from German warehouses — known as fulfillment centers in Amazon-speak — with trucks driving up to Sweden through Denmark, and a fulfillment center operated by local partner Kuehne + Nagel in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna, near Stockholm. During the lockdown here in France Amazon was forced to close some warehouses and filfillment centers under pressure fr…
Nordic politicians will cave in like everyone else. Generally it's funny how this region (Nordics) is reported in the media as some kinds of rationalist demi-gods, when in reality most politics here are just your regular smokescreen mixed with wishful thinking and a lack of understanding the real world. In conclusion, politicians will do as politicians do nowerdays - drive their own career over the 'public good'.
Worst case-scenario for Amazon is that we'll see some kind of stand-off where multiple labor unions prevent their members from working for Amazon, or doing work for Amazon (usually things like truck drivers at other businesses going on strike instead of delivering good to/from Amazon).
Nordic politicians will cave in like everyone else. Generally it's funny how this region (Nordics) is reported in the media as some kinds of rationalist demi-gods, when in reality most politics here are just your regular smokescreen mixed with wishful thinking and a lack of understanding the real world. In conclusion, politicians will do as politicians do nowerdays - drive their own career over the 'public good'.
Amazon have a pretty good alternative, so they'll only warehouse in Sweden if it makes economic sense vs Germany + Poland. As for the unions, their incentives and alternatives may be different to the union members too.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You seem to be misguided about the influence of politics on labor negotiations in Sweden. There is no mandate for a politician to interfere, it is entirely a thing between the two bargaining parties. That is, unless you can gather a political majority behind a major upheaval of the current law, which would have to happen after the next election because no such majority exists today.
Potentially true, my reflection point is Finland instead of Sweden. Unions over here are however thinly masked extensions of political parties, yes they operate somewhat independently but each political party has a 'favourite' union who they influence through unofficial channels.
The ruling Social Democratic Party has strong ties with the unions though.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You seem to be misguided about the influence of politics on labor negotiations in Sweden. There is no mandate for a politician to interfere, it is entirely a thing between the two bargaining parties. That is, unless you can gather a political majority behind a major upheaval of the current law, which would have to happen after the next election because no such majority exists today.
Potentially true, my reflection point is Finland instead of Sweden. Unions over here are however thinly masked extensions of political parties, yes they operate somewhat independently but each political party has a 'favourite' union who they influence through unofficial channels.
its the other way around.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You seem to be misguided about the influence of politics on labor negotiations in Sweden. There is no mandate for a politician to interfere, it is entirely a thing between the two bargaining parties. That is, unless you can gather a political majority behind a major upheaval of the current law, which would have to happen after the next election because no such majority exists today.
> That is, unless you can gather a political majority behind a major upheaval of the current law, wh But hasn't this already happened with recent reforms regarding the limiting of strike rights [1] and current LAS negotiations. [1] https://www.arbetaren.se/2019/06/19/riksdagen-klubbade-inskr...
> Initially, Swedish and Nordic clients will be mainly served from German warehouses — known as fulfillment centers in Amazon-speak — with trucks driving up to Sweden through Denmark, and a fulfillment center operated by local partner Kuehne + Nagel in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna, near Stockholm. During the lockdown here in France Amazon was forced to close some warehouses and filfillment centers under pressure fr…
> After a week or so we started getting our deliveries again, usually with an extra day of delay because it was being fulfilled from Germany. In some other industries (shipping) you have to be really careful to do that. There's various laws against breaking up (the effectiveness of) a strike. That's currently often only applied within one country. If Amazon does something similar more often enough they'll probably ge…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> That is, unless you can gather a political majority behind a major upheaval of the current law, wh But hasn't this already happened with recent reforms regarding the limiting of strike rights [1] and current LAS negotiations. [1] https://www.arbetaren.se/2019/06/19/riksdagen-klubbade-inskr...
That's a pretty marginal change in the context of European labor practices. There is still an "obligation of peace" while a bargaining agreement is in place, for example. It will (initially at least) only affect sites where there is more than one union who are competing for the same category of members, which is not all that common.
It is abstractly a huge deal and practically a huge deal for Hamnen, SAC, Brandmännens Riksförbund and other alternative unions because it excludes all competition among unions and channels all reform through the internal political workings of those unions like LO/Kommunal. As the a laywer in Arbetaren explained (and others have explained elsewhere) previously, it allows for company (i.e. "yellow") unions which is a realistic problem now considering Amazon is involved.
Amazon is the quintessential hill to die on for the unions and the labour laws are incredibly strong in Sweden. Here's how I think it might play out if Amazon refuses to sign:
- Handels requests collective bargaining
- Amazon declines but are sued in court and loses (you are required to bargain)
- Negotiations fail and Amazon refuses to sign
- The union realises that this is their David v Goliath and blockades the company
- Amazon refuses to cave
- The union declares widespread "sympathetic strikes".
- in the end garbage collectors will refuse to pick up garbage at their warehouse. Electricians will refuse to service their warehouse. Plumbers will not plumb. Workers, builders, postmen etc will all simply stop servicing Amazon. Companies that deal with Amazon can also be put in a blockade.
- Amazon will also receive zero support for from politicians for two reasons, first it's not a political matter. Second even the right wing opposition party will know better than to go against the electorate on this matter.
It's simply not possible to operate a large scale business in Sweden without support of the labour unions (or by having workers conditions that exceed the perceived minimum). If a large scale business wants to operate in the country they _must_ sign a collective bargaining agreement.
Amazon is the kind of company to instead build high speed hovercraft and base them in Poland or park a large warehouse offshore.