More rules in the workplace...but a better life beyond the office
The job Having worked for Lockheed Martin in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, David is now employed by STS, which previously carried out internal maintenance for Scandinavian Airlines but has been an independent subsidiary since October 2004. He manages aircraft maintenance for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
Working culture David says employment in Sweden is much more regulated than the UK, with greater attention to workers' rights. "The working climate in Sweden is much more governed by union agreements than the UK," he says. "It's more like the UK of the '60s and '70s. There are many more rules and regulations governing working hours, holidays and the working environment. However, STS and the unions have a good relationship."
Equal rights are also taken extre-mely seriously, he says.
People "The Swedes can come across as cold and reserved to the British," says David, "but once you get past the first stage, they are a very friendly and generous people."
Getting work As a member of the European Union, work in Sweden is available to nationals of other EU countries. There is a growing number of foreign workers in the country. Says David: "It is becoming a more and more multicultural society as the EU expands. I work with around 15-20 nationalities."
Language Learning the language is not a must for getting by in day-to-day life, but is key to becoming accepted into Swedish society. "They say I am still learning the language!" says David. "You can live and work here quite well without Swedish, as everyone speaks English, but if you do speak Swedish it shows you are serious about staying here."
As a qualified professional, however, it can be a problem having to retake some qualifications to obtain local certification, although some foreign qualifications are accepted. "Learning the language was hard, but it was more difficult having to take all my licence exams again in Swedish," says David. "I could convert around half, but I had to redo the others in Sweden to get the equivalent qualification."
Outside work Twice the size of the UK, but with only 9 million inhabitants compared with the UK's 60 million, Sweden's public services and infrastructure are not nearly as stretched as the UK's, with transport facilities, for example, "much better than the UK", says David. "I miss some things about England – the social and pub life especially, as it's just not that kind of society here," he says. "But I will never move back. The working environment here is very good and you can walk out of your door directly into a forest with wild animals in it."
flight.workingweek@rbi.co.uk
David Williams: "The Swedes are a friendly and generous people"
Source: Flight International
