In good working conditions we work better. We are more creative, feel greater satisfaction and are less easily supported. Almost one in three employees experienced work-related illness in Sweden in 2021.
Workplace culture in Sweden need to change. Here, the union can play an important role. Like the daily conversation in the workplace. The employees must dare to have opinions on the business without risk for a worse wage trend or negative differential treatment. A constructive way to improve the working climate is to point out what could be improved and how it could be done.
There are many ways to better working conditions. Encouragement and constructive criticism from management is in any case better than excitement and stress.
But good working conditions is also connected with a high social security fund that captures virtually all the unemployed and a well-measured and legally secure sickness allowance and sickness allowance. The Alliance government 2006-2014 knew this. They knew that when they reduced social insurance and contributions (through changed calculation bases, sickness benefit was also reduced and out-of-insurance was introduced into the system) this would depress people's reservation salary. It is the lowest salary people can think of when looking for a new job. But a minimal and precarious welfare also means that many are likely to accept unhealthy workplaces for too long with dire consequences for them and society.
The alliance went to the polls that Sweden could not afford an exclusion of a few hundred thousand. But Sweden has 2022 billionaires in 542. During the pandemic, the number increased by 336. 81 of its billionaires are dollar billionaires and together own 49% of Sweden's GDP. (Aftonbladet)
In Sweden had the number of dollar millionaires in 2021 in two years increased by 7,7% to 153. (Aftonbladet)
So to help jobseekers and the sick back to health and a healthy working life and to give those who are burnt out physically or mentally from their hard work a decent sickness allowance high enough not to make them pauper pensioners at 65, we cannot afford that. But to create a class of over a hundred thousand rentiers and to re-introduce tax privileges for old castles and manors. We can afford that. We can afford to practically restore the nobility but not to take care of our unemployed, sick and worn out.
At the same time, societies do with large wealth gaps that everyone, even the very richest, feel mentally and physically worse and that even the very richest have a shortened lifespan. So we can destroy the ship for everyone but not give our vulnerable people reasonable conditions in working life. Good work!
It is false myths who say we can't afford welfare. Dismantling our working conditions to maximize the owner's right to return is one unscientific idea.
The red-greens have managed to achieve some improvements, but significantly less than if the people had voted to give them a majority of the votes in the Riksdag.
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