Varför är techbolagen så rädda för facken?

Kim Öberg said something that stuck with me during Arbetsvärlden's panel discussion on the Swedish tech industry's anti-union stance at this year's Almedalsveckan.

The first two years in Sweden, your work visa is linked to your employer. That means if you lose your job in those first two years you have two months to find a new job with an employer who'll sponsor your visa, otherwise you have to leave Sweden. It raises the stakes a lot if you're thinking of “irritating” your employer. So that's one factor. I decided I'd worked at Klarna a few years, I'd done a good job, people were happy with my work, so I figured OK, I have enough “points” to get involved with unionising, because my technical work is appreciated enough.

The “points” thing! It's real! I made a similar calculation before the Spotify campaign!

This entire event was wonderfully insightful. Well worth a look if your Swedish skills are up to the challenge.