Employees of waste collection firm Reno Norden started a so-called wildcat strike (a sudden strike not backed by unions) on July 5th in response to salary changes due to begin in the autumn.
It was subsequently deemed to be unlawful by the Swedish Labour Court, as rules do not permit industrial action during the term of a collective bargaining agreement, which is negotiated between labour unions and employers. The waste collectors were ordered to return to work as a result.
READ ALSO: Swedish court orders striking waste collectors to return to work
Some refused however and a number of workers even resigned, but Stockholm waste management company Stockholm vatten och avfall confirmed on Tuesday that a new strike has not taken place and waste collection staff numbers are back to normal, though it will take time to work through the backlog and get services back to the usual pace.
“We've said that we’ll see disruption during the week. At an individual level it's obviously difficult, but if you look at the whole picture we think it's starting to move in the right direction now,” Stockholms vatten och avfall CEO Krister Shultz told Swedish news agency TT.
Staff shortages may be a problem once more in the near future however, Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reports, as many of the waste collectors who resigned have only been replaced by temporary workers.
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