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For several years, Pågatågen staff have been demanding time to pee. The company has resisted, now the staff is right.
– People have had to plan how much to drink, says Ola Brunnström, chief security representative.
The conflict over bathroom visits has been going on since 2017 between Arriva, which operates the Pågatågen, and the train staff.
This spring, the Swedish Work Environment Authority visited and it was later discovered that employees were forced to work four to five hours straight without bathroom breaks.
The authority required staff to have scheduled urination breaks, but the employer appealed the decision.
You get the right to pause
The Skåne Administrative Court now states that the employer is obliged to ensure that staff do not have to work more than two and a half hours before using the toilet.
– It’s an incredible relief. It has been a big problem for us. People have had to plan how much to drink and what to drink. It has also been a big problem for women who have had to change bandages, it has been a big problem, says Ola Brunnström, chief security representative in Pågatågen.
“Absolutely reasonable”
According to Senior Advisor Ulrika Geijer, the decision signifies a clear improvement in the working environment.
– Pågatågen is a relatively large business with many employees. The small staff increase the company believes will be the result of the decision is therefore entirely reasonable, it says in a press release.
Photo: ANDERS DEROS
After several years of struggle, the staff now have the right to go to the bathroom.
You may have to keep hitting
Arrivia believes that staff have the opportunity to go to the bathroom, for example, inside trains and at some of the railway stations.
But the administrative court does not agree and believes that there is a risk of infection and a lot of dirt in the clients’ bathrooms, so it is not appropriate to refer the staff.
Arrivia is considering appealing the ruling.
– It arrived two hours ago, so now we want to analyze it before deciding for ourselves if we should appeal. We are ready to move on, says Christer Ekelund, Arrivia’s communications manager.
Arriva must have implemented the changes before July 31, 2021. Until then, the staff can continue to hold out.
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