At least two Swedish unions have issued a strike notice against Candy Crush Saga developer (and the “K” in ABK) King. In a post on LinkedIn, Unionen, Sweden’s largest trade union, wrote, “Our members at King are entitled to secure conditions, a say in their workplace and clear rules that apply to everyone. That is why Unionen is giving notice of strike action.”
In Sweden, unions operate on a kind of two-tier system. Workers can individually join a trade union that represents and bargains for their entire profession at any time. They can also form smaller unions, called union clubs, that are exclusive to a specific workplace. At King, the members of its union club have been in negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for over a year. In June, King executives ultimately refused workers’ requests, saying the company’s “current benefits offering is better for our employees” and that its “current operating model is the right fit for King, including our operations in Sweden, at this time.”
It is because of this denial that Unionen and the Swedish Engineers unions are calling for a strike. “A collective agreement is about more than pay. It covers pensions, insurance, working hours and the ability to influence conditions at work. It is a cornerstone of security in the Swedish labour market.”
According to a press release from the Swedish Engineers union, arbiters are working to mediate a solution. But if no agreement cannot be reached by September 25th, workers will go on strike.
“A strike is not something we take lightly,” Swedish Engineers wrote in its press release. “But the signal from our members at King is that they want us to take the next step to secure their conditions and influence.”