Group of European Pensioners from Savings Banks and Financial Institutions

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Index of documents > Euromeetings Magazine > Euromeetings Number 10



THIS is an attempt to explain which influence the pensioners in Sweden have through their organisations on central-, regional- and local level.

There are five national pension organisations in Sweden at central level that are members in the Governmentspension committee chaired by the Minister of Health and Social Affairs or the Minister of Social Security.

Attending these meetings is also the State Secretaries of the Ministry.

These meetings are held four to five times a year and the committee also meets with the Prime Minister at least once each election period (originally planned to be once a year). There are also a meeting with the State Secretaries prior to the presentation of the budget bill. The five national pension organisations in Sweden are:

 

                                                                                                         members

Pensionärernas Riksorganisation (PRO) ................. 396.000

Sveriges Pensionärförbund (SPF) ............................ 233.000

Svenska Kommunalpens. Förbund (SKPF)............. 116.000

Sveriges Pensionärers Riksförbund (SPRF) ............. 45.000

Riksförbundet Pensionärsgemenskap (RPG)............. 30.000

Total members .......................................................... 820.000

 

Most of the national pension organisations hold so called central meetings every second or third year where they decide a lot of important matters of that level. The central meeting is organised so that every regional organisation is represented.

When we come to the regional level most of the above mentioned organisations hold a district conference every year where they decide a lot of important things, such as influence on county council through the county pension council (LPR). Further on decisions are about the high of the yearly fee in the regional/local organisations. Other interesting things on the agenda can for instance be courses and conferences about current questions for pensioners. Even other things, social and traffic matters, are common questions where regional influence are frequent. LPR choose their own board and are responsible for its own economy towards the district conference.

On central level most pension organisations have imposing investigation recourses but on regional level in less extent. All above mentioned organisations are politically independent. On local level most of the organisations through all their local associations have meetings every month besides in summertime. In this meetings a lot of information are given to their members and entertainment and so called walking and travels are common. Once a year there are a yearly meeting where the members choose their own board and discuss important things for them. On local level you also choose representatives in the so called municipal pension councils (KPA). These councils have meetings every quarter together with municipality administration officials, representing the so called soft questions and even with officials representing the social committee. Even influence at traffic questions in the local society are common.

 

Divergence can occur from what I have described above between the different organisations but in general these are the most frequent formations.

Besides the above organisations there are even a lot of pension organisations, or more common, pension clubs, in separate branches such as for instance the bank area. The function of these are more like fellow clubs, meeting each other up to four times per year, where the program are concentrated around excursions, study visits, meals and so on. Most of the banks give contributions per person for this purposes. There are no union matters discussed in these meetings and we dont have any investigation resources. When you become a pensioner in Sweden you have to join one of the big fiveif you want to have any influence in pension matters for the future. The unions in Sweden do very little or nothing for their members after that they have retired. Thats why most of them leave their old unions at that time.

Wilhelm Lemchen

Vice President of the Group - Sweden