Around 50 freelance writers affiliated with Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) have been engaged in prolonged negotiations with the management regarding their fees. Following the breakdown of talks
that began in the spring of 2023, a demonstration was organized on Friday, December 8, outside SvD in Stockholm, supported by the Swedish Union of Journalists.
The freelancers at SvD have stressed, during negotiations, the need for a symbolic adjustment in the spring, pointing out that they have not seen a significant increase in their fees for over two decades. Consequently, their earnings are now lower than those of freelancers in the early 2000s. In contrast, SvD employees have witnessed wage increases exceeding 25% over the last ten years.
Furthermore, there is no agreement on annual fee increases for freelancers at SvD, resulting in a practical decline in fees year after year. According to the Swedish Union of Journalists freelance calculator, a full-time critic for SvD currently earns SEK 11,000 (approximately €900) per month before taxes.
In an interview with SvD's new editor-in-chief Lisa Irenius, published on December 2, 2023, cultural journalism is emphasized as crucial for the newspaper's success. Despite this, SvD pays its cultural writers the lowest fees among all major daily newspapers. At Aftonbladet, owned by Schibsted, the fee for comparable articles is nearly double. Simultaneously, the workload for critics has increased as SvD eliminated the position of literary editor, now expected to be carried out half-time by a freelancer without access to the newspaper's premises.
The demonstration aimed to draw attention to the challenges faced by freelance writers. Held on December 8 outside Svenska Dagbladet's main entrance in Stockholm, the management of SvD was invited to address questions and discuss freelance fees, an offer extended to the board but not accepted. The demonstrators presented a cake with frosting that read, "We are celebrating 20 years with the same fees."
Editor-in-chief Lisa Irenius acknowledged the demonstration and expressed a desire to continue negotiations further. The event was attended by Ulrika Hyllert, President of the Swedish Union of Journalists, Grethe Rottböll, President of the Swedish Writers' Association, and around 20 other participants. Photo by Holger.Ellgaard, Wikimedia commons.