Struggling Saab’s engineering union is raising concerns about August salaries as its members continue to go unpaid for last month.
Sveriges Ingengorer has around 500 members at the automaker, which today raised the hope it might be able to settle unpaid wages through a subscription notice for five million shares under the current equity facility between itself and GEM Global Yield Fund.
But despite that potential development, the engineers association is now flagging what happens to future wages.
“We really hope this money is coming in – the problem is we don’t feel so very safe,” a Sveriges Ingengorer spokeswoman told just-auto from Sweden. “We think even [if] they get the money this month, we think we might have the same problem next month.
“We need to have a longer-term view so the company can start making cars.”
Following June’s salary problems with its blue-collar staff, Saab has not been able to pay their white-collar colleagues for July, with around 1,500 employees thought to be affected.
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By GlobalDataThe engineers union also called for the Swedish government to show what it is doing about Saab, although the union conceded it was in a “tough” position
“We know they [government] can’t give the company money – you don’t do that in Sweden,” said the spokeswoman. “Probably they could do more – at least they could show us what they are doing.
“Of course we are most concerned about the company – it is an important company for Sweden. We are very concerned they can survive.”
Sveriges Ingengorer said it would send a letter to Saab this week if wages were not paid, detailing arrears owed, much in the same way white-collar labour body Unionen said it will do if its members’ July salaries were not settled.