EQUINET training Access to RightsDublin April 28-29, 2009

Dolores Kandelin MogardAkademikerförbundet SSR

dolores.kandelin-mogard@akademssr.se

The Swedish System

The new anti-discrimination act• New legislation (seven grounds: sex, transgender identity or

expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation and age)

• The new Equality Ombudsman• The Act apply to most areas of society, such as working life,

education, goods, services and housing, social services, the social insurance system, health care, national military and civilian service and regarding public appointments.

• Employers• Trade unions

All Clear(Fritt Fram)

An Equal project about creating open and inclusive workplaces

Vision

To create a working environment where every

single individual is respected and have equal

rights and opportunities regardless of their

sexual orientation

Target Groups

• Employers

• Employees

• Trade unionists

Activities

• Research • Awareness raising through media, conferences, seminars, trade fairs • Development of educational resources, methodologies for raising

awareness and training material• Provide training for everyone in a workplace; employees, employers,

trade union representatives

Content in a Training session

• Personal values exercises

• Terms and concepts

• The heteronorm and heteronormativity

• The importance of being able to be open

• Films and discussion

Recommendations

• Work in cooperation with different kinds of organizations

• Focus on structures and norms, but work on a practical level

The All Clear (Fritt Fram) trade union network

•Consists of 20 Swedish trade unions from all three central organisations (LO, TCO and SACO) and

•The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

• The network is open to all unions regardless of how far they have come in their own work on these issues.

The network meets every second month – more frequently if required.

The setup of the network varies over time depending on

which issues are in focus.

Issues are handled in the form of projects with

voluntary participation from unions.

The network has no budget of its own but finances are

handled within in each project and are raised by the

participating unions.

Our objective:

• to develop the participating trade unions’ work with LGBT issues

• to take the lead following the conclusion of the All Clear Equal project to continue to raise and develop the issue of a more open working life.

This will take place via the network being able to use one another as sounding boards and by receiving support and assistance from each other

Achievements to date:

• internal education within each participating union.

Euro Pride in Stockholm 2008• an international seminar in collaboration with ETUC. • A national seminar with the three central organisations – LO, TCO

and SACO.

Pride Parade: • ETUC participated in the parade for the first time this year. • LO and TCO were also in the parade. • Three unions participated under their own banner:

Akademikerförbundet SSR, Civilekonomerna och Lärarförbundet.

Work in progress:

internal education within each participating union. National

LGBT seminar in May and August in pride-festivals. More

participating unions will have their own tents in Stockholm

Pride Park this summer. LGBT-seminar in Almedalen.

Future projects: organise teacher education;

educate local union representatives.

Pride Park: • LO, TCO and Akademikerforbundet SSR each had

their own tent in the Pride Park area. The Officersförbundet shared theirs with the Swedish Army forces.

• The Akademikerforbundet SSR, a union of university graduates whose members have a degree in economics, social science, social work or personnel management, has taken the initiative to create this network