SUN Congress 2025: Stronger Together in Stavanger

resident John Nielsen of Serviceforbundet opened the congress with a warm welcome to the 44 delegates and voting representatives, as well as invited guests. He highlighted the importance of solidarity across borders and greeted several first-time participants:

• Ejendoms- og Servicefunktionærernes Landsforbund (ESL), joining as an independent union for the first time
• Efling from Iceland, newly affiliated with SUN
• Delegates from the new branch for veterinary nurses and animal care staff, representing a growing sector under rapid internationalisation

The congress also celebrated SUN’s 80th anniversary, reflecting on eight decades of Nordic cooperation, shared struggles, and victories in the service sector.

In his farewell address, John Nielsen underlined the challenges posed by atypical work, platform labour, and threats to the Nordic collective bargaining model. He thanked member unions for their unity in conflicts across the region—from strikes in Finland and the Faroe Islands to the ongoing fight for a collective agreement at Tesla in Sweden.

The congress marked a change of leadership as the SUN presidency rotates between countries. Brede Edvardsen from the Norwegian Union of General Workers (NAF) was elected as the new President, while Joakim Oscarsson from Fastighetsanställdas Förbund in Sweden became Vice President.

Delegates also adopted a new action plan for 2025–2029, with priorities including:

• Fighting atypical work and algorithmic management
• Organising workers in vulnerable employment
• Securing workers’ rights in the green transition
• Combating social dumping and ensuring health and safety across SUN’s branches

With unity and determination, SUN’s member unions continue to strengthen cooperation across borders to protect service workers in a changing Nordic labour market.

New Board:

President:

• Brede Edvardsen, Norwegian Union of General Workers (NAF)

Vice President:

• Joakim Oscarsson, Fastighetsanställdas Förbund (Sweden)

Board members:

• Magnus Thelander, Swedish Transport Workers’ Union (Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet)
• Marianne Henriksen, 3F (Denmark)
• Ellen Dalen, Norwegian Civil Service Union (Norsk Tjenestemannslag)
• Ruth Boetius, Havne Arbejdskvinnufelag (Faroe Islands)
• Ingunn R. Jacobsen, Fagforbundet (Norway)
• Markku Saikkonen, PAM (Finland)
• John Nielsen, Serviceforbundet (Denmark)
• Michael Hansen, ESL – Danish Building and Service Workers’ Union
• Vidar Thorsteinsson, Efling (Iceland)
• Chaker Nassar, SEKO (Sweden)

Branch Chairs:

• Terje Mikkelsen, Security Branch
• Michael Hansen, Property Branch
• Ewa Edström, Cleaning Branch
• Guro Thingvold, Veterinary Nurses Branch