Sweden: ECHR rules on union 'monitoring fee'

On 13 February 2007, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a ruling¹ (on the ECHR website) - in the case of Evaldsson and others v Sweden (application no.75252/01) - on the "monitoring fee" that building industry workers have to pay to the Swedish Building Workers' Union (Byggnads), irrespective of whether or not they are union members.

Under the collective agreement for the building and construction industry, local branches of Byggnads have the right to monitor pay and to be reimbursed for the costs involved, with a fee of 1.5% levied on the wages of all workers in the industry.