Demanding shorter work hours, some 2,000 nurses, midwives, biomedical analysts and radiology nurses are set to walk out on June 4th in five regions: Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Skåne, Östergötland and Västerbotten, including seven of Sweden's largest hospitals.
Then on June 11th, if the conflict isn't resolved, another 1,900 union members and two new regions, Värmland and Västmanland, will join the walkout.
A blockade on overtime and new hires has been in place for 63,000 members of the Swedish Association of Health Professionals union in all Swedish regions since April 25th, and was extended to 5,000 municipal employees in 29 municipalities from May 20th.
Healthcare is run regionally in Sweden, but municipalities organise welfare services such as elderly care and school nurses.
The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR) is blaming the consequences of the strike on the union, claiming that it could risk the lives of patients. The union refutes this, saying that healthcare was already endangered before it threatened to strike.
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