The Swedish Medical Association is the union and professional organisation for medical practitioners. Important issues dealt with include doctors’ work environment, salaries, working hours, training and research. The SMA also has key role to play in influencing the development of healthcare in Sweden. Over 90 per cent of Sweden’s doctors belong to the SMA.
The SMA enters into collective agreements on behalf of its members in areas such as general employment conditions, which includes salaries, working hours, holidays, sick and parental leave and pensions. Membership of the SMA entitles you to:
• Advice and support in matters relating to your salary, contract, and general working conditions as well as insurance and pensions.
• Help with salary negotiations, and up-to-date salary statistics.
• Legal assistance on disciplinary matters, such as negligence claims or probation, and on general matters of healthcare, tax and labour law.
• Peer support for doctors undergoing a personal crisis.
As a member of the SMA, you will be registered at a local branch in the area where you are working. You will also belong to at least one professional association, which is a national organisation for members with the same professional position, e.g. general practitioners, occupational health doctors, junior doctors etc.
Before becoming a specialist, you will belong to the Swedish Junior Doctors’ Association (SYLF), which organises doctors who are completing their internship and specialist training (residency). The association has about 7,000 members and deals with union issues of importance to young doctors, such as training, general working conditions and salaries.
SMA’s student organisation, the Swedish Medical Students Association (MSF), has approx. 4.000 members and in addition to training-related issues also works with salary and employment conditions for doctors doing their internship and working on a supply basis as assistant physicians.