Welfare unions: How can we deliver in a state of war?
This is a debate article. It is the writer who stands for the opinions presented in the text, not Aftonbladet.
Published 2024-01-27 06.30
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fullscreen The government must take responsibility for the reduction in welfare that is now taking place. When we can’t deliver on the requirements that already exist today – how can we deliver in crises? writes five subjects in the welfare sector. Photo: TT
DEBATE. The lack of personnel in several of the welfare activities today and in the coming years is one of the biggest challenges of our time. At the same time, we see savings requirements and layoffs of staff in municipalities and regions. In parallel with this, war in our vicinity and Sweden’s imminent NATO membership have contributed to raised voices for a strengthened civil preparedness.
The question is how welfare should be able to handle times of crisis, heightened preparedness and war when today there is a crisis in welfare.
It is time for Sweden to equip welfare to deal with the challenges we face; such as gang crime, long queues for care and poorer school results to name a few. Then we will also be better equipped in times of unrest and war in our surrounding world.
Welfare is also a high priority issue among voters. In Novus’ latest poll regarding the most important political issues, healthcare, school and education, and law and order are at the top.
The Minister for Civil Defense and the Minister for Health Care have pointed out how important it is for preparedness to have a robust health care system in the event of war. The Corona Commission’s conclusions also showed that preparedness is not up to par.
In order to equip themselves, the government has, among other things, tasked MSB and the National Board of Health and Welfare to carry out a supply analysis on the need for and access to healthcare products that are needed for good care to be provided.
All too little happens in practice; there is a lack of nurses, assistant nurses and medical secretaries and many leave the professions annually. What help is it with a broken leg from a cast if there are no staff to apply the cast? Today’s care queues are largely due to a lack of colleagues with the right skills.
The high-priority issue of law and order requires robust welfare if we are to deal with the fact that young people are drawn into crime. In a survey carried out by Infostat, 40 percent state that they want to see increased social and preventive efforts to reduce crime.
There is strong support in the research that preventive efforts within schools and social services are of great importance in reducing gangs’ opportunities to recruit young people.
Today’s cutbacks in the school make teachers’ tasks more difficult and the school is unable to carry out its compensatory task, partly because support functions such as student and teacher assistants are removed. It is a development that runs completely counter to what is needed to stop the development at an early stage.
Together, we represent approximately 1.2 million employees in welfare. These are members who work in schools and preschools, healthcare, social services, as well as elderly and disabled care.
We believe that the government needs to take responsibility for the reduction in welfare that is now taking place. When we can’t deliver on the demands that already exist today on welfare – how are we supposed to be able to deliver in crises?
As trade unions, we are appalled and saddened by the wars and conflicts going on in our world.
We don’t want to be alarmist, but our preparedness in a crisis is also about strong welfare in peacetime. Our resilience both against hatred and polarization, and ability to handle crises such as pandemics or conflicts and wars, is to be found in strong welfare.
Children and young people are equipped with knowledge and humanity and are close to adults, who have the right conditions to do their jobs in preschool, school, leisure and social services, and the sick get the help they need.
If the politicians are serious about Sweden investing in strong civil preparedness, welfare personnel must be prioritized now.
For the Unions in Welfare:
Heike Erkers, union chairman, Academic Union SSR
Åsa Fahlén, union chairman, Sweden’s teachers
Veronica Magnusson, union chairman Vision
Malin Ragnegård, association chairman Municipal
Sineva Ribeiro, association chairman Vårdförbundet
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