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Svenska teknikjättar växer utomlands
De svenska teknikjättarna växer kraftigt utomlands, samtidigt minskar antalet anställda i Sverige, visar en undersökning gjord av Teknikföretagen. Men expansionen sker inte på bekostnad av jobben i Sverige, hävdar Anders Rune Teknikföretagens chefekonom.
Under perioden 2006 till 2013 ökade antalet anställda med över 180 000 utomlands hos 32 ledande svenska teknikkoncerner. Samtidigt minskade dessa företag antalet anställda i Sverige med 16 000. Totalt betyder det en 30-procentig ökning av personalstyrkan.
- I dag jobbar 16 procent av de anställda i Sverige. Vad man ser är att det blir en större andel tekniker och ingenjörer i Sverige i förhållande till traditionella industrijobb. Tjänstifieringen pågår i hög takt, produktionen ligger till stora delar någon annanstans, säger Anders Rune som anser att företagens verksamhet utomlands är en förutsättning för jobben i Sverige.
I undersökningen har man tittat på företagens anställda i fem länder utöver Sverige: Kina, Ryssland, Indien, Brasilien och USA. Det visar sig att Kina ensamt står för cirka 30 procent av den totala ökningen. I dag utgör de anställda i Kina cirka 10 procent av det totala antalet. Därmed är man nästan i kapp USA, där 12 procent av de anställda finns.
Anders Rune tror att utvecklingen kommer att fortsätta i samma riktning i de här bolagen.
- Det kan vi förvänta oss i takt med deras framgångar, då blir andelen anställda i Sverige mindre. Samtidigt är det också många svenska medarbetare som jobbar i utlandet.
Det är långt ifrån givet att antalet jobb i Sverige kommer att fortsätta att minska. När Teknikföretagen tittade på svenska företag verksamma i Kina för några år sedan visade det sig att det även hade en positiv utveckling av antalet anställda i Sverige, enligt Anders Rune.
En ytterligare förklaring till att de stora teknikbolagen minskar antalet anställda i Sverige kan vara att en del av de uppgifter som tidigare utfördes av egna anställda i allt högre grad läggs ut på bemannings- och konsultbolag. I Teknikföretagens undersökning har man enbart räknat på teknikbolagens egna anställda.
Bland de 32 teknikkoncernerna i undersökningen ingår bland andra Alfa Laval, Atlas Copco, Electrolux, Ericsson och Volvo.
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No guaranteed wages in Northvolt's US reconstruction
Northvolt's financial troubles continue. Now, the battery manufacturer's hopes rest on a reconstruction in the USA. However, the process means that the state guaranteed wages – lönegaranti – will not apply to Union members.
The clock is ticking for the struggling battery manufacturer Northvolt. During the autumn, debts have piled up with the Swedish Enforcement Authority, and recently several of the company's major shareholders withdrew from negotiations for new financing. Since its inception in 2015, Northvolt has raised SEK 110 billion, but now the money is almost gone. According to CEO Peter Carlsson, they need to raise just over SEK 10 billion in the coming year, but so far the search for new financing has been fruitless.
Maintaining control with Chapter 11
Therefore, Northvolt has now taken the next step to save the company. The management has applied for a so-called Chapter 11 procedure, a type of reconstruction process in the USA that was recently used by the airline SAS. One possible explanation for the battery manufacturer turning to an American court is that it is considered doubtful that Northvolt would be granted a Swedish reconstruction, as it requires the company to be fundamentally viable. Another advantage of Chapter 11 is that the management is likely to retain control over the company.
No guaranteed wages for employees
However, there is a downside – for the employees. In an American process, Northvolt's employees will not be able to benefit from the Swedish state guaranteed wages - lönegaranti - according to several legal experts contacted by Kollega.
– The Swedish state does not pay any guaranteed wages if the company has not initiated a reconstruction or bankruptcy in Sweden. If Northvolt only initiates a Chapter 11 procedure in the USA, all the company's obligations to employees in Sweden to pay wages and other compensation according to the employment contract remain, says Hans Andersson, chairman of the Swedish Association of Restructuring and Bankruptcy Administrators.
If Union members at Northvolt do not receive their wages, the union can, however, request the company to be declared bankrupt in a Swedish court.
– If Northvolt does not pay wages on time, the employee or the union can collect the wages through the Enforcement Authority and ultimately request that the company be declared bankrupt if the wages are not settled, explains Hans Andersson.
Unionen: "Will collect unpaid wages"
Filip Vujcic, a union lawyer at Unionen, also assesses that members cannot benefit from the state guaranteed wages when a corporate reconstruction is initiated in the USA.
– This means that Unionen, in the event of future unpaid wages, needs to safeguard its members' rights through wage collection. According to Swedish bankruptcy rules, a corporate reconstruction in the USA does not prevent a member's bankruptcy application from being examined in a Swedish court, he says.
Will Unionen request Northvolt to be declared bankrupt if members do not receive their wages?
– Unionen does not comment on that question at this time.
*In wage collection, Unionen usually sends a demand letter to the employer, who has seven days to pay the wages. If the wages are still not paid, the employer receives a payment order via service. If that does not help either, Unionen sends a bankruptcy application to the district court.
This text has been translated with the help of AI.
CHAPTER 11
- American reconstruction process aimed at giving a company a chance to continue with all or parts of its operations. Normally, no administrator is appointed, and the debtor continues to run the business themselves.
- The company must present a plan that must be approved by the court. The plan aims to determine which debts the debtor should pay and which debts should be written off. The plan also provides the opportunity to terminate unfavorable contracts and reorganize the business so that it can continue to operate profitably.
- One advantage of turning to a court in the USA instead of using the Swedish reconstruction process is that a Chapter 11 has an impact in several countries. If a group has companies in different countries, they are all drawn under the same process instead of carrying it out in each country and risking different outcomes.
