Union halts work at Swedish steel plant construction site over safety concerns

A Swedish trade union has initiated a work stoppage at SSAB’s steel plant construction site in Luleå after around 20 workers fell mysteriously ill, NSD reports.

Work at the site has been suspended since early April following the unexplained illnesses. The union, Seko, is demanding that the company ensure the workplace is safe before operations resume.

“We don’t want anyone to get sick or die at work,” Seko’s shop steward Mats Wennberg told NSD. Swedish public broadcaster SVT also reported that police investigators have hesitated to examine the site due to potential hazards.

Police launched a preliminary investigation into workplace safety violations, but according to SVT Norrbotten, forensic technicians refused to enter the area over concerns about unknown substances. “The investigators considered it potentially dangerous. There was also uncertainty about whether the substances were so hazardous that they themselves could fall ill,” lead investigator Patrik Åström said on April 7.

SSAB confirmed elevated gas levels, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, in samples taken from the site. However, the cause of the illnesses remains unidentified. “The worst part is not knowing what’s making people sick—then you can’t get the right protective equipment,” Wennberg said.

The union’s decision followed worker concerns about returning to the site. SSAB acknowledged the stoppage but declined to comment on specifics, noting that operations had already been paused before the union’s action.

Swedish media report that ongoing tests have yet to determine the source of the illnesses or the necessary protective measures.