It is late afternoon and darkness descends over Nacka hospital. Around the table, a group of nurses from Capio's various operations have gathered, some after and others before their work shifts. Their work with the elderly and seriously ill who need advanced medical care care at home, ASIH, means working day and night and then compensation is paid for inconvenient working hours.
From the turn of the year, the ob allowance begins to follow the salary, which Arbetsvärlden reported on. The healthcare association described it as a "substantial boost for ob", when the new agreement covering 7,000 employees in private healthcare was signed together with Almega Vårdföretagarna in December last year.
But the information about how the new compensation is distributed, with so-called divisors based on the basic salary instead of krone figures, only came at the end of October this year, shortly before the agreement comes into force at the turn of the year.
- We had a staff meeting when we received the information on a powerpoint from our employer. In order for you to get the same ob that you have today, a monthly salary of over 50,000 applies, says district nurse Sara Hammarström.
The information came from the union a couple of days later, where the Vårdförbundet wrote that the change for "many members" means a lower ob-compensation and the union knew that it is "perceived as a deterioration" by those affected.
For most of Sara Hammarström's work group, it will be a reduction. The change means, for example, that a job during a holiday, which paid 128.15 kroner an hour, will now pay 75 kroner for someone with a monthly salary of 30,000.
Edvin Svensson, who has five years in the profession and works nights at ASIH in Dalen in southern Stockholm, has 37,700 in basic salary and estimates that for his part it is a 25 percent reduction in ob.
- I got the information that this would be so much better, that it was a lift, so I wasn't worried. Now I have calculated and concluded that it will be SEK 3,500 less per month. It affects the private economy a lot, says Edvin Svensson.
His colleague Axel Miltell, with 30 years in the profession, notes that the contract change hits those with lower wages the hardest. For his own part, he expects a reduction of SEK 500 a month.
- Our union has suddenly become our opponent. How did it happen? says Axel Miltell.
According to the Nursing Association, the members of the union will benefit from the new model in the long term because nurses have a strong wage trend.
- But when you get into the situation you have now, you have lost several years' compensation, says Sara Hammarström.
She has considered taking on a trade union position, but hesitates after the Health Care Association's initiative. Others, like colleague Tyrone Sutton, are considering looking for a new job.
- If it becomes a reality, I will apply to the region, he says.
When Vårdförbundet concluded the agreement with the counterparty Almega Vårdföretagarna in December of last year, it was based on demands that Vårdförbundet had been making for several years.
- One condition from our side was that it should be cost-neutral. Nurses are the occupational group that has increased their wages the most in the Swedish labor market, so historically they would have benefited from the new model, says Per Östlund, head of negotiations at Almega Vårdföretagarna.
The calculations are based on an estimate that nurses have an average salary of SEK 46,600 in the month of 2026.
The agreement was concluded alongside the usual negotiations in the contract movement. Per Östlund estimates that approximately half of those affected will lose compensation in the short term and half will gain.
- When you introduce a change, it is natural that some people get angry and others happy, says Per Östlund.
Protest lists have begun to circulate among Capio's nurses in Stockholm and on social media.
- We demand that the agreement be cancelled, says Sara Hammarström.
Vårdförbundet's chairwoman Sophia Godau says that the union has pushed for ob to follow the salary following a congressional decision in 2011. The federation wants to include the model in more agreements.
- We have had the ambition for a long time. But we realize that it has unreasonable consequences for many members who receive reduced compensation when the new model is introduced. We didn't capture it enough and we didn't communicate clearly enough, says Sophia Godau.
She cannot answer how the Vårdförbundet calculated. Now Sophia Godau says that the union has taken on board the criticism that has come from many members.
- We are working to find a better solution.
Does this mean that Vårdförbundet is backing down?
- The agreement is valid and comes into effect on January 1, but I have to come back to more concrete solutions, says Sophia Godau.
DN has been in contact with Capio, who refers to the parties.
