For employees covered by the former Swedish National Board of Fisheries (Fiskeriverket) agreement

This will affect employees at SLU Aqua in the following ways:

• the flat-rate compensation will be discontinued
• compensation will be based on the work performed and when it is carried out – not on how it is done or which equipment is used
• no scheduled overtime
• it will continue to be possible to work flexibly, meaning that employees may work longer or shorter days depending on what their duties require
• the new agreements will be easier to interpret and administer.

Overall content of the new agreement

For those who work in the field (regardless of extent), the new agreement will involve changes, for example with a stronger focus on compensatory rest. Another important change, in addition to compensatory rest, is that allowances for official duties will no longer be based on what you do during your working hours, but on the actual time worked and any travel time.

It will continue to be possible to work flexibly, meaning that working both longer and shorter days will remain an option depending on the requirements of the work tasks.

Remuneration and financial implications

As a general principle, employees receive their monthly salary for the work they perform. In addition, other allowances may apply in connection with business travel, such as daily allowances and official duty supplements. Work carried out at unsocial hours may give entitlement to unsocial hours allowance.

At present, it is not possible to provide detailed information regarding remuneration levels and compensation, as discussions and negotiations between the trade unions and the employer are ongoing and subject to confidentiality. The aim is to achieve a more consistent approach and a clear focus on a sustainable working life for SLU employees through compensatory leave. What we do know is that standardised rates will be removed in the new agreements, which means that remuneration levels will change. It will also no longer be possible to schedule overtime.

Compensation for official duties is based on unsocial hours and overnight stays. Unsocial hours allowance applies to work carried out at unsocial times that is scheduled or planned by the employer. It is a salary supplement paid for time worked during so-called unsocial hours, most commonly nights and weekends.

The agreement on unsocial hours allowance is available on the staff web,(only in Swedish) as the level of compensation varies depending on when the work is performed.

Compensatory rest and the organisation of working time

Any deviations from daily or weekly rest periods must be compensated with rest (= paid time off) after the completion of the official duty. For assignments carried out on board vessels operated by external parties, the details regarding working hours and scheduling have not yet been finalised.

Duty groups, roles and how different staff categories are affected

As an employee at SLU Aqua, you will be covered by one of the following agreements:

• For those who work in the field (regardless of extent): the new fieldwork agreement
• For those who work exclusively in an office-based role: the office working hours agreement
• For researchers and environmental analysis specialists: the academic staff agreement

Communication and transparency in the process

Not all information can be communicated while negotiations are ongoing due to confidentiality. However, the ambition is to continuously share as much information as possible regarding the process, timeline and overall direction.

More detailed examples, practical applications and information on financial implications will be communicated once the new agreements have been fully negotiated and formally adopted.