Increasing number of Swedes receive war placements

Stockholm, Jan 24 (IANS) The number of Swedes with war placements increased by 66,000 individuals to more than 404,000 during the second half of 2022 and it is expected to rise further, local media reported.

Under Swedish law, workplaces can order their employees to stay on the job in the eventuality the government should impose a state of heightened alert, reports Xinhua news agency.

Some of these war placements are within the Swedish Armed Forces, although the exact number is confidential, Swedish Television (SVT) said in a report on Monday.

War placements within the civilian sector have also become more common since the breakout of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.

More than 55,000 of those who have received war placements work for municipalities around the country, while nearly 163,000 work within the administrative regions, said the SVT report.

These war placements are to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible should the country become involved in a war, and a spokesperson for the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) told SVT that the number of war placements was likely to increase further.

“It is difficult to give a figure on how many war placements will eventually be needed, but it is significantly more than today,” Fredrik Stany, a unit manager at MSB, told SVT.

The Russia-Ukraine war, said Stany, “shows how important it is to have personnel in the rescue services and within organisations that repair electricity and water supplies. Healthcare professionals, teachers, and those who handle transport also have skills that are needed on-site”.

War placement is mandatory should the employer request it, but under normal circumstances most employees can keep working as usual after receiving a war placement, SVT reported.

However, should the government declare a heightened state of preparedness, those who have war placements are not allowed to change jobs, resign or leave the country, the report added.

–IANS

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