Ericsson actually need Sweden – Aftonbladet

It is just a few decades ago, Ericsson was the core of a new american industrialization. It was manufactured telecom equipment around the country, and on a real "yuppienalle" it would be Ericsson.

Ericsson was perceived as a sort of rebuttal against the claim that it is producing Sweden was doomed to go under in the context of globalisation.

layoffs and closures

since Then, have the headlines been about redundancies, divestments and plant closures. Sweden, Katrineholm, sweden and Karlskrona are some of the town names flimrat past. In addition, we have been able to read about the secret directors. It’s just three months ago Hans Vestberg was fired during the blatantly, but with a hefty parachute.

Still it is a shock when Swedish newspaper svenska Dagbladet can now reveal that Ericsson has plans to bring down the last manufacturing units in Sweden. Only that would mean that 1 800 jobs will disappear, particularly in Kumla and Borås. All in all, is nerskärningsplanerna about 3 000 workplaces in Sweden.

But the document Svenska Dagbladet reading is not just about jobs, now, if the word can only be used when so many workplaces are in danger of disappearing. Plans is to finish a 140-year-old era in Swedish history.

modern

Ericsson is a part of modern Sweden, but also a product of it. The company has been able to grow because the society built the infrastructure and, therefore, that the people had the money to use it.

Now it may be coming to an end. The trade union negotiators stresses, of course, that nothing is clear and that the end result really does not need to be as bad as it looks. It must, on the other hand say.

Ericsson is currently in a fierce global market that no longer grows in the same way as before. It is a part of the crisis. Management has also repeatedly failed. The savings programme has crippled the company who either become sharper or sufficiently profitable. Instead, Ericsson has on the area after the area lost its lead.

But it is difficult to free oneself from the idea that it also is about the Swedish social climate. It has importance, not least for a company that actually has its roots in the collaboration between the private and the public.

Vast challenges

In eight of the last ten years, Sweden has had a prime minister who believes that the industry is "basically gone", and we know that economic policy is facing enormous challenges. The availability of a skilled workforce, a transportation system that works and a sustainable energy supply, for example.

The employees at Ericsson can not wait for the ministry of industry to solve the data. Mikael Damberg need to act now.

But, above all, need Ericsson a management that believes in the production and who believe in Sweden.

For Sweden, need Ericsson. And Ericsson need actually also Sweden.