IT solutions group EDB terminated a contract with a consulting firm concerning one Jonas Bergling who is the local rep for the Swedish Pirate Party in Örebro. Last monday he answered question on a chat with readers of Nerikes Allehanda a local daily newspaper on the subject of Piraty Party principles, surviellance societies and The Pirate Bay trial. When he started working for EDB he was upfront with his position in the party with his closest supervisor and has never used company time for political purposes.
EDBs policy says:
Political activity 3.3 EDB does not give support to political parties, neither in the form of direct financial support nor paid working time. Employees participating in political activities will be granted leave from their work in accordance with the law and agreements.
Seeing as his participation in the chat was during his spare time, he has clearly not violated company policy.
Generally, firing people in Sweden is tricky business. There’s alot of laws that strictly regulates how you can fire people. But since Jonas wasn’t employed by EDB but instead with the consulting firm, they bypass these laws.
Jonas had been told that his chances at getting a permanent position were very good and that the company were just waiting on a clearer picture of the direction of the economy before offering him a job. But after leaving work this Thursday EDB called him and said that they had no interest in being connected to the subjects the chat concerned. Upon returning to the consulting firm he was told to hand in security pass and keys to them, and that he is not welcome and EDBs offices anymore. Not even to say goodbye to his friends at work.
Terminating a contract in this way for someones political views is dispicable!
Swedish blogs covering the subject:
Nyhetsskribent.se, Leo Erlandsson, Opassande, Insane Meditation, Ung Pirat Mattias Bjärnemalm
-Update: Now also on SvD(sv) – EDB head office denies everything and the Örebro office of the consulting firm is unreachable.
The Purple Flagship 