Det fackliga medlemsraset i Sverige under 2007 och 2008

Union density still is very high in Sweden. The considerably raised fees to union unemployment funds made by the centre-right government in January 2007 have caused a fall of union density of a magnitude quite unique in modern Swedish history: from 77% in 2006 to 71% in 2008 (annual averages; full-time students working part-time excluded). In private sector union density declined from 71% in 2006 to 65% in 2008. In the same period density of employers' associations increased from 77% to 80% (the share of workers in firms affiliated to employers' associations). As a result Swedish employers now are considerably better organised than the workers. That was not the case as late as in the year 2000 when private sector union density was 75% and density of employers' organisations 74% (private sector). Blue-collar unions were exposed to the largest losses (in general fees of blue-collar unemployment funds were raised more than those of white-collar funds). In 2008 union density of white-collar workers was somewhat higher (72%) than among blue-collar workers (71%). Between 2005 and 2007 the coverage of collective agreements declined from 94% to 91% (in private sector from 90% to 87%)