“”It is not interesting to members””
“the Union refuses to reveal the costs – leaving the interview after repeated questions”
“the Union’s samhällspolitiske director Henry Ehrenberg was one of those who ran the pop-up office in New York.”
“He refuses to tell you what it cost the members to send nine employees and says that the covenant not to disclose data about their ”activities”.”
“– What is interesting for our members is not how much an individual trip cost, ” says Henrik Ehrenberg.”
“Sweden’s largest trade union, the Union has received harsh criticism from its members.”
“Aftonbladet has reviewed ten of the largest unions and the Union is the only one who refuse to show up how they have used their members’ money in a variety of missions. “
“the Union has also invested its members’ money on a pr campaign, which, among other things, opened a pop-up office in New York.”
“Henrik Ehrenberg is the socio-political head of the Union and of Aftonbladet hit him in Stockholm for an interview. “
“Ehrenberg himself has been in on some of the trips that have been highlighted – including to New York and Rio.”
“He has also been on a study trip to China earlier this year in a week and gone to the united states and looked at the us elections. “
“Why is it important to keep the secret of what your travel costs for the members?”
” We have no intent to hide anything. We are happy to tell you that we are internationally active, that we find out how international trade is evolving and globalization, the impact on our members. “
“But it was not what I asked, I asked now why it is important to keep the costs?”
” We have taken a decision that it is a matter of integrity for our employees.”
“– What is interesting for our members is not how much an individual journey cost. Who made the trip. But what is interesting for our members, it is that we are internationally active, we represent them internationally, and that we find out what is the significance of the changes, for example, in international trade and China’s expansion and plans for expansion, the consequences of that.”
“the Members pay the trip, why have they not the right to find out what it costs?”
“– The travel that is done follow the policy that exists and that we follow the policy reviewed by our auditors. I think that our members can feel confident with. “
“But there are very many members who are raging now. They want to know what happens with their money. Why can’t you just say what it costs?”
” No, but it interesting for our members is: we have followed the policy or not, and why we travel internationally? And then, we travel internationally to find out what the changes in the global trade and economy the implications for our members in their employment.”
“you say You follow the policy, but you may not find out about your policy, it leaves you not out. Why is it important to keep the secret of your travel policy?”
” No, but it is not urgent to keep the secret that we are traveling internationally, how often, and what we do, but our travel policy, it is the details of, for example, security as we do not want to leave out and we are following the travel policy. It is the responsibility of the managers to see to, and the independence of the auditors, that we follow it.”
“But then you would be able to leave out the other parts of the travel policy that does not contain these security features?”
“– Yes, but we have chosen not to do it because it is… We are more interested in talking about why we travel, why we are out and about representing our members.”
“I understand that you are interested in talking why. You are not interested in talking about what it costs?”
“– We have internal verifiers who ensure that we use members ‘ money in the right way.”
“Henrik Ehrenberg went myself along with two colleagues to watch the u.s. presidential election. Two flew in the business class, but association does not want to leave out some of the costs. “
“Why should the members pay for you to go to the united states and are looking at the presidential election?”
“– Yes, you, may, I think many members are aware that there is a trade war, and how developments in the united states are direct impacts of the Swedish companies, for our members in exporting companies. Then it is a interest for us to see what is happening, what do we think will happen in the future, with american foreign and trade policy. “
“You do trips around the world, and we have heard that they contain some traditional musical instruments feature. Why should the members pay for it?”
“– We – the travelling Union bill – they adhere to our travel policy. According to the can absolutely take off a day or a couple days in conjunction with an international trip, as long as they pay the additional costs yourself. “
“Why is it important to keep the secret of what stunt in New York city cost?”
“– We have no intentions to be secret, to hide something, it is in addition, so that there is lots of movies about pop-up office in New York city online. The whole idea was to make a pr and opinionskampanj. So it is not like we hide that we have had an office and why we have been there.”
“Now I am talking about the costs – why is it important to keep the secret of it?”
” It’s not important, it is about what is reasonable so to say, what we publish, and we have chosen a line in which we do not publish the individual costs.”
“It was barely a few visitors on this pop-up office. One said it was so embarrassing that it came no, so you had to call people?”
“– No, we did not, then you have misunderstood the purpose of our pop-up office. Pop-up office’s purpose was to have a pr campaign targeted to members, social media, and through the media, and that purpose was fulfilled. “
“One of the objectives was the attention of the international media. How did it go with that?”
“– Yes, I know it’s not actually on the straight arm. But you can certainly find the objective in each pr campaign is not met, but you can also find the mass of the target in the promotional campaign are met. For example, large spread. “
“the Union’s team of press officers Phillippe Fernström go repeatedly to cancel the interview, and says that Henrik Ehrenberg had to go to a meeting.”
“Ehrenberg concludes by saying that he has several times responded to questions about the cost and that the Union’s response is that they will not leave out a few, before he leaves the interview.”
“So tips you Aftonbladet”
