Assessing the Swedish labour law model through a social sustainability lens

In this article, we aim to explore the contours of how we might interrogate Swedish labour law and practice from a socially oriented sustainability perspective, drawing on the distinctive findings of our project ‘An inclusive and sustainable Swedish labour law – the ways ahead’ and on other aspects of the Swedish labour law model that we consider are particularly relevant for a sustainability analysis. In so doing, we have identified potentially five dimensions to the use of a ‘sustainability’ discourse as a basis for evaluation of regulatory measures suitable for the Swedish labour market. It emerges that the central dominant system of collective bargaining has the potential to promote durability and inter- and intra-generational justice, including just transitions in the labour market. However, its capacity to promote capabilities and equality depends on how inclusive and adaptable collective bargaining systems are, with attention to who is being represented and in what sectors.