Swedish workers return to work with a raise

May 13, 1980

As almost 1 million workers returned to their jobs Monday after Sweden's largest labor conflict, employers saw a heavy toll from the week-long dispute. "The increase in labor unit costs of our competitors in Europe will be about 10. 5 percent this year. Ours will be 11.4 percent for 1980," said a spokesman for the Swedish Employers Confederation, which locked out 750,000 workers May 2.

Sunday night the confederation, pressured by a government appeal, agreed to accept a final proposal for giving a 6.8 percent raise. A similar package settled a labor conflict in the public sector, too.