Skånska Dagbladet

[Skånske Statsunionen]

Skånska Dagbladet
Skånske Statsunionens tidningen sedan 1702

Postal Workers set to strike over wages, transit drivers threaten sympathy strike.
SÖLVESBORG: After a five rounds of negotiations between the Royal Scanian Post (Kungliga Skånska Post) and the Postal Workers Union (Postanställd Förbundet) broke down over wages. In the final offer by the KSP to the PsF, KSP offered a 5 year contract with 21% increase in wages over the length of the contract. That works out to about 4.15% annually without adjustment for inflations. The PsF in a resounding vote, voted to reject the offer and authorise the General Strike. The PsF was hoping for 22% over 4 years with adjustment for inflation. This was something the cash-strapped KSP was unwilling to entertain. Therefore the strike has been planned to start tomorrow at 08:00 with a total service blackout since all front line staff will be off the job.

The Ministry of Labour has said they are sending in mediator to see if they can bring both parties to the negotiation table but they also stated they are staying out this labour negotiation until such time as it becomes a "National Problem". What the Ministry means by "National Problem" is a mystery.

Forest Fires rage in Grasslands in the North.
RÖDTRÄSTAD: After such a dry winter, the normal forest fires in the northern grasslands have been raging out of control, says the National Weather Agency (Skånskaväderbyrån) and that local firefighters have been been unable to control the blaze. With the shifting winds, the National Weather Agency has begun to evacuate the people of Witsjö since the fires have been spotted only 10 kms from the town and there is a strong fear that the two highways out of the town would be soon cut off by the fire. The Minister of the Environment and Disaster Preparedness as stated that the Ministry is advising all residents of the region to leave their homes at once and to not wait until mandatory evacuation. We will keep you updated on this story.

 

[Skånske Statsunionen]

Skånska Dagbladet
Skånske Statsunionens tidningen sedan 1702

Government releases 100 billion kronor from Financial Stabilisation Fund to help calm capital markets.
SÖLVESBORG: Nearly 10 years after the intense financial recession experienced by the Statunionen and the sharp financial and economic pains incurred by the recovery plan, the Government has announced at a financial meeting in Danzig, they are dipping into the constitutionally mandated Financial Stabilisation Fund (Stabilitetsplanen Fonden) to inject 100 billion kronor (21Bn dollars) into the capital and financial markets through Scanian financial institutions. The Government said this was a short term facility and one-time but that they would be working with other stakeholders in the region and across Europe to find a medium and long term solution. The Economy Minister said in the Assembly that he believed that a strict and deep financial readjustment policy would be necessary to overcome the regions sovereign debt crises and that the Government is willing to send technical advisors to assist.

Already the Scanian markets have responded negatively, since the amount released was much less than the overexposed Scanian market would have liked sending the kronor up against the dollar. Which bring fears of reduction of growth that has been strong off high exports. The Official Opposition slammed the Government for being timid, saying that the Government was being "cowardly" and "timid".

 

[Skånske Statsunionen]

Skånska Dagbladet
Skånske Statsunionens tidningen sedan 1702

Elections called as negotiations for membership into the Northern Council and the Karlskrona Accord begin.
SÖLVESBORG: The Prime Minister this morning visited King Karl-Henrik IV to request dissolutions of the Legislative Assembly (Lagstiftande församlingen) to seek a mandate to negotiate for membership in the Northern Council and the Karlskrona Accord. The Prime Minister said in a press announcement that due to the complex nature of the negotiations and the possible loss of "spheres of sovereignty", that the Government did not feel it had the mandate to be begin recently approved negotiations. Thus, the Government decided on snap elections to provide a mandate. Already the opposition Social Democrats and the Left Party have come out against membership in either organisation, saying that it would unnecessarily hinder the State Union and that Scanian taxpayers would be on the hook for the sovereign debt crisis raging through the Northern Council. The Green Party has decided that it will back negotiations but will wait to see if they will back membership. While the governing Moderates and Liberals have both committed themselves to negotiations and membership. The election has been set for four weeks from today and early polls suggest the governing coalition will easily win re-election and a majority support negotiations and membership.

In addition to the national elections, the states of Norrland and Norra Skåne will also be electing their assemblies as well as one third of all local county councils. The governing coalition is expected to lose the elections in both states as they are the heartland of the Social Democrats, being strong industrial provinces with a history of union activism. The eyes will be on Sölvesborg Council which votes a day before the national elections and is seen as a bellweather of the national mood as it is a close cross section of Scanian society with even mix of urban rich and industrial classes, educated and undereducated. The governing coalition losing the City Hall would spell trouble for them on election day.

 

[Skånskige Statsunionen]

Skånska Dagbladet
Skånske Statsunionens tidningen sedan 1702

Bantyr Defaults! Cabinet declares guarantee for all Scanian bank debts.

SÖLVESBORG: Everyone in the financial markets was expecting the Bantyr default over bond obligations but now its official. In a policy of preferential payments, the Government of Bantyr has decided to only pay obligations to domestic and "select foreign investors" and let itself default on other obligations. Scanian banks before the Northern Council trade crisis were heavily exposed in the Bantyr market and it appears the initial guarantee of 100bn kronors (21bn dollars) will not be enough to calm the markets and there is a real risk of a failure of a Scanian bank, something the Government has denied profusely. The Cabinet in an emergency meeting called during the election campaign promised to underwrite all obligations of Scanian banks and pledged that no Scanian bank would fail. Still, stocks plummeted nearly 10% before trading was suspended until statutory regulations. The kronor also dropped 11% against a basket of other currencies and is expected to drop for a few more days. The National Bank revised its predicts for the next quarter to 1.2% growth instead of the nearly 3% forecasted before the crisis.

Minister of Economy, Oskar Lindqvist said that he did not expect a recession and that growth to return to normal by the fourth quarter. Additionally, the Cabinet approved 100,000 work permits of Bantyrian citizens looking to flee the chaos in Bantyr. With the Prime Minister says at an election rally,

"The State Union has a moral obligation to help our neighbours to the North, especially since we have no quarrels with the People of Bantyr who are being needlessly punished for the foolish actions of their Government. I believe that the Scanian economy is robust enough to absorb 100,000 Bantyrian citizens who seek to provide a stable life for their families and to send their wages back to Bantyr in remit. Additionally, the Cabinet and myself are looking at other aide measures and I hope we are re-elected so we can ensure that no person in Northern Europe goes hungry. It is our Christian duty.

The Opposition pounced on the Government, saying that they were being duplicitious in following Northern Council directives on trade yet trying to be "friends with everyone" and that the Prime Minister was acting "cowardly" and should that a "bold new government" was needed in Sölvesborg.

It is unclear yet how these measures will pan out and how many Bantyrians will take advantage of the new offer. The Cabinet also indicated they are exploring freezing Bantyrian government assets in Scania, though not many remain with the default.

Election Polls:
Governing Coalition:
Moderata samlingspartiet - 32.4%
Liberala partiet - 21.1%
Total - 53.5%
Opposition:
Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna - 35.1%
Miljöpartiet de Gröna - 5.8%
Vänsterpartiet kommunisterna - 5.6%
Total - 46.5%

 

[Skånskige Statsunionen]

Skånska Dagbladet
Skånske Statsunionens tidningen sedan 1702

Glad Mångfald Dag! (Happy Diversity Day!)

SÖLVESBORG: Today marks the 16th annual diversity day in Scania, a day that was declared a statutory holiday by the openly gay Social Democrat Prime Minister Pers Olafsson to mark the removal of homosexuality as a disease and a crime by the National Health Board (Nationella hälso-byrå) and the Justice Department (Justitieministeriet) on June 1, 1961. Originally the holiday was to celebrate GLBTQ members of Scanian society but over time has included all diversity in Scania. Or as Minister of Equality put it, "the Rainbow nation". The holiday is characteristic for the funny gender-bending costumes politicians and celebrities wear and the large street parties since it is a paid day off work for most Scanians. The holiday is also a massive tourist draw since it attracts GLBTQ persons from all over Europe.

This year was no different from the outrageous costumes as the King and the Archbishop at 08h00 this morning raised the Rainbow flag over the palace in what the Archbishop described in his speech as "Joseph's technicolour dreamcoat." It was a sight to be seen, the multicoloured long cloak over the traditional wear that the King and the Archbishop of the Church of the State Union normally wear. The King said in his yearly speech that "Diversity Day is a day to remind all Scanians and all Europeans that God loves them regardless of their colour, gender identity, culture, sexual orientation or creed. God created all of his children in his image and his unlimited grace and compassion inspires us to love all our neighbours as we love our own."

This year's theme was "Alla fina människor" or All the Beautiful People and the Scanian flag was replaced across the country with the Rainbow flag to celebrate the Rainbow Nation that Scania feels it is. The highlight of the Day is the massive one million attended gay pride parade in Sölvesborg. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition were marshalls of the Gay Pride Parade in Sölvesborg as the Drag Queen and King in Chief (the Prime Minister is a woman and the Leader of the Opposition is a male but it was a tirade of the Minister of Economy, Culture and Justice that stole the show dressed as the trio from the popular movie "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert). Diversity Day is also a day all the towns and villages in Scania paint their Main Streets in bright new colours for the summer. Additionally, in the second city of Rödtrestad, a massive Oceania culture parade was held attracting nearly a half million attendees and was marshalled by the Leader of the Liberal Party who dressed up in appropriate attire which was quite colourful and it the weather cooperated across the whole of Scania with sunshine and warm temperatures from the north to the south.

Another feature of the Day is the humourous speeches by the Leaders of the Parliamentary Parties in which they lampoon each other with tongue in cheek references. Some of the jokes were about the rescinding hairline of the Leader of the Opposition, how the Leader of the Liberals is single and openly gay and the Prime Ministers stiff style. The Leader of the Left Party said that she excited lesbians everywhere with her like of pantsuits.

This year, the Royal Promenade in the Royal Concert Hall will headline Batavian talent. This includes Milk Inc, Sylver, Kate Ryan, AnnaGrace and Lasgo. Tickets were sold out within minutes.


Election Polls:
Governing Coalition:
Moderata samlingspartiet - 33.1%
Liberala partiet - 19.9%
Total - 53.0%
Opposition:
Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna - 36.2%
Miljöpartiet de Gröna - 5.8%
Vänsterpartiet kommunisterna - 5.0%
Total - 47.0%