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The Swedish Trade Union Confederation

In February 1996 a unique cooperation between forest industry, landowners, environmental organizations, trade unions and some other stakeholders started to develop a forest standard. It was the Swedish Forest Stewardship Council Working group that was formed with the aim of creating the first national standard based on international criteria for sustainable forestry. What was of special interest from a trade union point of view was the ambition to cover not only ecological and economical aspects in this standard but also the social aspects. This also meant that the FSC-standard would cover the three main pillars of Agenda 21.

FSC is an independent international organisation, situated in Mexico, which aims to the environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests. FSC promotes a voluntary accreditation programme for organizations and enterprises that certificate forestry. It’s principles and general criteria must however be adapted to the local conditions in different countries.

In the Swedish working group all parties involved in forestry were represented. An intensive work started in 1996 and two years later a proposal was ready. It was submitted to the FSC and got its approval in may 1998. The working group was reformed and the national FSC-council was established.

The FSC-standard on forestry covers the following main issues:
Basic requirements

• Compliance with laws and FSC-principles

• Tenure and Use Rights and responsibilities

• Workers rights

• Indigenous People´s rights

• Local communities

• Virgin-type forests and forests with biodiversity values

• The preservation and restoration of habitats

• Habitats with specific management requirements

• Water and soil management

• Forestry in the agricultural landscape

• Overall planning

• Adoption to natural eco cycles

• Multiple use

• Production

There are two categories of standards. One for companies and other large land holdings, and another for individual private forest landowners. For the first category the agreement is only made directly with an accredited certifier. For smaller landowners the agreement could also be made with an umbrella organisation like a forest owners’ association.

Products based on certified forestry could be labelled with the FSC-logo. This goes for all products from logs to furniture as long as the verifiers could guarantee the origin of the wood.

The FSC provides a level standard with specific requirements that must be met for approval. It is possible to have it completed with environmental management systems like ISO 14001 or the European system EMAS.

For the trade unions involved, the standards for the social sphere (including workers rights) are of course of a certain value but the FSC-process also gives the worker a professional responsibility in sustainable forestry. The standard says, "the enterprise shall employ only employees who have the required competence in the area of work in question, both in production and the environment". The standard points out the need of individual competence development plans including a broad education and training for all workers.

Regarding health and safety issues the standard specifically demands that the current regulations for internal control of the working environment shall be followed and access to a qualified occupational health service shall be guaranteed. This means that a standard originally initiated for ecological reasons also provide support to improvements in the working environment. One effect of this is a growing engagement among trade unionists for integration between both sides of environmental protection.

The standard also gives the trade union a platform for participation. The enterprises are obliged to comply with all applicable laws – and thereby also to discuss and negotiate with the local trade unions. They are also bound by collective agreements with their employees. Regarding subcontractors, all relevant parts of the criteria apply.

Participation, changing production patterns, forests.

At the end of 1999 more than 920,000 hectares have been certified by FSC-standard in Sweden. This corresponds to just about 40 per cent of the total area of productive forests in the country. All the big enterprises in forestry and forest industry are involved in the continuing process as well as the leading environmental organizations and the trade unions concerned.

In several countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the U.S (especially the east coast) consumers increasingly demand the FSC-label. Without this rapidly growing interest from abroad this work on an integrated economic, ecological and social certification of forestry would not have become as successful as it has been so far.

For the trade unions and the workers, the FSC-standard has meant that jobs are secured, that working conditions are improved, that professional and environmental education and training is guaranteed and that a professional role in sustainable forestry has been developed.

Gathering international support and awareness.
Gathering consumers support and awareness
Participation and collaboration of all major actors.
Voluntary programs can produce effects if they are participatory in their approach.