Chat – but only in Swedish!

You may chat during breaks at this Swedish company – but only in Swedish.  

  • When Keolis takes over the bus traffic in Jönköping, foreign employees may no longer speak their native language during breaks. Photo: Patrik Hansson.
  • When the company Keolis takes over bus traffic in Jönköping there will be some changes in the rules. Such as: the employees may speak to each other during their breaks, but only in Swedish.

  • "Speaking Swedish only during breaks is a rule we have to create harmony and solidarity,” says Helena Reinhagen of Keolis Nordic.
  • Diskrimineringsombudsmannen (the Equality Ombudsman) is critical to this particular rule, but the local union chairman thinks it’s just fine. “If two people from a foreign country speak loudly to each other in their language they show no respect.

  • Keolis has its headquarter in France, a country known to be concerned about preserving its own national identity.
  • They are louder than the rest of us, that’s just a fact,” says Thor Tärnbring from the Kommunals trade union. In fact, the bus drivers (all of whom get to keep their jobs when Keolis takes over) must sign a contract promising not to speak anything but Swedish!

  • “That’s a rule we have to create harmony and solidarity,” says Helena Reinhagen, communication officer at Keolis. The rule is in effect during lunch and other shorter breaks.

  • Secretary of press at Equality Ombudsman, Eva Rosengren is critical however:

  • “During breaks when one is supposed to relax, you can’t very well forbid people to speak their native language,” she says. But Tärnbring doesn’t agree at all: “We have such a small canteen,” he says. “And we want a society where we can all be Swedes, old Swedes and new Swedes in one family.”

  • For more info on the company, see Busslink. Keolis is not - no surprise there! - a Swedish owned company, its headquarter is in France but the company works in public transportation all over Europe and in the U.S.. Keolis Nordic