Original translation by Michael Laudahn:

From Sydvensken

Death threats, other threats, insults, chaos and abuse. These are some of the serious workplace environmental problems for staff at SF-biografs [SF-biograf: cinema chain] in Malmö, which were discovered during a spontaneous inspection made by Arbetsmiljöverket [the government agency responsible].

‘We are grateful for this revision, the biggest [so far] in our trade in Sweden’, says SF’s regional manager Annika Christén. It is a thick, 32-pages tome now presented by Arbetsmiljöverket. The fundamental criticism aims at the employer’s (SF Bio) so far lacking systematic workplace environmental commitment at its Royal, Filmstaden Storgatan and Filmstaden Entré theatres. As examples are mentioned threats against staff, risks for falling, crisis support, physical workplace environment, including sub-standard staff space and lacking incident reporting in cases of, among others, death threats.

Arbetsmiljöverket considers that staff is being exposed to threats and violence on a daily basis. 90 % of the menacing situations result from enforcing the minimum 15-years admission limit. Employees have been threatened by large gangs which said ‘We’ll take care of you outside’. This has led to a situation that employees were afraid to go home late. ‘These are not daily threats, no, but the problem results when staff must enforce the minimum 15-years admission limit. Often, it’s the parents who are the most menacing’, says Annika Christén.

It happens that underage visitors are being stopped by the foyer wardens, if they can’t show proper identification. One suggestion is that maintaining-order guards should be present in the foyers, or at least be reachable, like at the Entré. All employees should receive written instructions on how these risks should be handled, and SF Bio must have an action plan. According to Arbetsmiljöverket, its criticism also aims at the the employer’s omission to investigate death threats, insults and violence. Likewise, no investigation has taken place into damage inflicted on machines, or fire damage to a popcorn machine.   ‘We take this very seriously, and we are determined to become better. Earlier deficits may depend on lacking knowledge’, says Annika Christén. She and SF Bio now have time until 24 january to improve the workplace environment for the around 50 employees, and to prove for Arbetsmiljöverket what they have done to achieve this goal.