Per-Olof Sjöö

Swedish trade union leader (born 1968)

Per-Olof Sjöö (born 1968) is a Swedish trade union leader.

Sjöö worked as a fitter in a window factory near Växjö, and joined the Swedish Forest and Wood Workers' Union. In 2000, he became the union's contract secretary. In 2009, the union merged into the new GS, and Sjöö was elected as its first president. In 2012, he was additionally appointed as chair of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) Union to Union international solidarity campaign, serving until 2016.[1][2]

Sjöö's international work soon attracted attention, and in particular he helped workers at the IKEA plant in Danville, Virginia to unionise. For this, he was the first non-American to receive the American Rights at Work's Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award. In 2013, he was elected as president of the Building and Wood Workers' International. In 2015, he was awarded the Swedish Development Forum Prize. He also served on the board of LO. He lives in a union-owned apartment in central Stockholm.[1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b "BWI Presidium 2018-2021" (PDF). Building and Wood Workers' International. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  2. ^ Johannson, Kjell (27 September 2008). "Per-Olof Sjöö förste man vid rodret". Dagens Arbete. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Facktoppens lyxvåning – mitt i Stockholm". Expressen. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
Trade union offices
Preceded by
New position
 President of GS
2009–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Klaus Wiesehügel
 President of the Building and Wood Workers' International
2013–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent