Strike threat lifted as Candy Crush maker signs collective agreement
Strike action against gaming company King, the creator of Candy Crush Saga, has been called off after the firm signed a collective bargaining agreement with the Unionen and Engineers of Sweden unions.
The strike had been scheduled to begin today, but news broke on Thursday evening that a collective bargaining agreement had been reached (annoyingly for us, after we had already recorded The Local's latest Sweden in Focus podcast).
"This shows the power that comes from employees joining forces in their dedication for change and improvement. Without the fantastic engagement of our members at King, it would have been much more difficult to reach this agreement," said Camilla Frankelius, head of negotiations at Engineers of Sweden, in a statement. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a collective bargaining agreement – ett kollektivavtal
Swedish police have now received 58 reports of suspected election fraud
The police have so far received 58 reports regarding improper conduct related to voting in the recent election.
"This offence classification covers a wide range of crimes linked to voting in elections," said Fredrik Bratt, Deputy National Operations Commander for the police's national election task force, in a statement on the police website.
He notes that there are no reports similar to the suspected election fraud in Dalarna, currently being investigated.
The majority of the reports were filed in the weeks leading up to and following the election. The number of reports concerning improper conduct during voting has risen since the suspected fraud in Dalarna came to light.
Most of the reports involve ballot papers that were stolen or hidden, or instances where poll workers failed to put them out. Many also concern individuals alleged to have attempted to influence how others vote. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: election fraud – valfusk
Moderate youth leader Douglas Thor to step down
Douglas Thor, chair of the youth wing of the Moderate Party (MUF), will be stepping down at the organisation's congress on November 22nd, reports Dagens Nyheter.
Thor took over as youth wing chair in 2022.
Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson addressed the resignation in a written statement to DN:
"I want to extend a huge thank you to Douglas for everything he has done for the Moderates and the Moderate Youth Association. The future is bright," he wrote.
The Local interviewed Thor back in March. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: chair/chairman/chairwoman/chairperson – ordförande
Sweden's Riksbank prepares to raise interest rate later this year
As expected, Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, left its key policy rate unchanged at 1.75 percent on Thursday.
However, an initial rate hike is likely later this year, according to the bank.
"If the inflation and economic outlook holds firm, interest rate hikes are expected to begin this year," the Riksbank stated.
According to the Riksbank's updated rate path forecast, the policy rate will be raised once more by the second quarter of next year.
The central bank has also revised its inflation forecasts upwards for both this year and next year.
"Should signs emerge of a sharper and more persistent rise in inflation, the Riksbank will raise the policy rate at a faster pace than currently projected," the bank added. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: as expected – som väntat