Use your voice: Vote.
On 13 September 2026, Sweden goes to the polls for the general election. Your vote can shape the decisions that affect your rights and your life.
The change we need to see
The issues we raise in the 2026 General Election come directly from our members. Through surveys and conversations with workers across Sweden, we keep hearing the same concerns.
People who work hard should be able to make a living, feel secure when they are sick or unemployed, and look forward to a decent retirement.
Today, that is not always the case.
If you get sick and stay at home, your income is reduced. If your workplace closes or your hours are cut, unemployment insurance may not be enough to cover your bills. After a lifetime of work, many people find that their pension is too low to live on. And for many, dental care has become too expensive.
Some say Sweden cannot afford change.
We know it is about priorities.
Everyone deserves financial security. Today as well as in the future.
Handels’ four election priorities
Our election priorities are based on what our members tell us matters most. These are the changes that would make the biggest difference for people working in retail, warehouses, e-commerce and other sectors where Handels represents workers.
Abolish the qualifying day deduction
Many people go to work even when they are sick because they cannot afford to stay home. In Sweden, your sick pay is reduced by a qualifying day deduction when you call in sick. We believe this system makes people poorer and encourages them to work while ill. We want sick pay from the first day of illness. Like the other Nordic countries, Sweden should abolish the qualifying day deduction.
Read more about why the qualifying day deduction should be abolished. (Link in Swedish)
Make dental care affordable for everyone
No one should have to postpone dental treatment because they cannot afford it. Today, dental care is much more expensive than other healthcare in Sweden. We believe your teeth should not determine your finances. Dental care should be financed in the same way as the rest of the healthcare system.
Read more about why dental care should cost less. (Link in Swedish)
A pension you can live on
A long working life should lead to a decent pension. This should also apply to people who have worked part-time because they could not get full-time hours, or who have spent their careers in low-paid jobs. People who have worked from a young age should be able to retire before the official retirement age. We also believe that those who can no longer work full-time towards the end of their careers should have access to secure part-time retirement, without losing pension benefits.
Read more about our proposals for better pensions. (Link in Swedish)
Stronger unemployment insurance
Unemployment insurance is there to provide financial security between jobs. If your workplace closes or your contracted hours disappear, you shouldn’t have to worry about losing your home or your financial security. We want unemployment insurance that covers more people and provides compensation that people can actually live on. We need policies that reduce unemployment. Not policies that make life harder for people who are unemployed.
Questions and answers
Handels is a democratic trade union, and our priorities come from our members.
These four issues are about something very simple: everyone should be able to make a living from their work, and feel financially secure throughout their working life and into retirement.
Our members have highlighted these issues again and again in surveys, meetings and conversations across Sweden.
That is why they are our priorities in the 2026 General Election.