Sweden: Union boycotts under attack

The practice of Swedish trade unions organising boycotts (or "blockades") of employers that refuse to sign up to sectoral collective agreements (whether or not any union members work at the company) is proving very controversial in early 2007, with two high-profile cases attracting considerable media attention and criticism from employers' organisations.

One case relates to a salad bar in Göteborg, whose small workforce consists mainly of young temporary employees, who have stated that they are not interested in union membership.