A Swedish Court has set the application by two of Saab‘s unions to declare the automaker bankrupt for 26 September.
The Unionen and Ledarnea labour bodies filed applications on behalf of their employees yesterday (12 September) as they battle to recover unpaid wages and Saab fights for its very survival.
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Vanersborg District Court, under whose jurisdiction Saab sits, confirmed it had received applications from both unions as well as the payment necessary from Unionen per member of staff to start the process.
“The unions have to pay SEK500 (US$75) per person because we need to register one dossier for each and every person,” Vanersborg District Court secretary Elisabeth Lindstrom told just-auto from Sweden. “We did receive a transfer from one of the unions that has the most employees [Unionen] – it paid the entire amount.”
The documentation will now have to be signed by Saab CEO Victor Muller as well as “external people who can sign for them,” before the formal hearing on 26 September.
Lindstrom added the District Court had now sent Saab’s appeal against its decision to reject a voluntary reorganisation to the Appeal Court in Gothenburg – today’s posting being a result of the automaker submitting its documents half an hour after its mail left yesterday (12 September).
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By GlobalDataGothenburg’s Court of Appeal confirmed to just-auto it had not received the application from Saab yet and added it was not certain if the case would be heard at all.
It appears any appeal is subject first to scrutiny by the Court to see if it will be allowed before being heard. The Appeal Court added that decision could be made this week.
Some 890 applications have been received so far by Vanersborg District Court, meaning the unions will have had to pay SEK445,000 so far.
Should Saab’s appeal be successful, the Swedish government would make available funds to employees to cover wages, but this money has to be repaid.
“The State pays salaries during reconstruction – it is a loan so after reconstruction ends, Saab has to repay,” said the District Court spokeswoman.
