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Clarification on industry practice for OB compensation in taxi sector

Dear Transport,

Thank you for your previous reply.

I would like to ask a few follow-up questions specifically regarding industry practice in the taxi sector, as this is important for my work permit case with the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket).

  1. In the taxi industry in Sweden, is it always considered standard practice that employees working evenings/nights must receive OB compensation, even in companies without a collective agreement?
  2. Are there examples or accepted situations where taxi drivers do not receive OB compensation, but instead have a higher base salary or other compensation that is considered comparable to industry standards?
  3. When assessing whether employment conditions are “in line with collective agreements or established practice,” is it correct to consider the total salary package (base salary + any supplements), rather than requiring each specific component such as OB?
  4. In your view, can the absence of OB compensation automatically mean that employment conditions are worse than industry practice, or does it depend on the overall compensation and structure?
I would greatly appreciate your clarification on these points, as they are important for understanding how “established practice in the industry” should be interpreted.

Kind regards


Muhammad Zaheer Abbas Gondal

Kommentarer

  • Thank you for your follow‑up questions. Below we provide clarifications based on the collective agreement for the taxi sector and on how employment conditions are typically structured within the industry. Please note that Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet does not act as a decision‑making authority in migration or permit matters. Our comments should therefore be understood as general guidance on industry standards, while the final assessment rests with the relevant authority, such as the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket).

    1. OB compensation and industry practice
    Within the Swedish taxi sector, OB compensation for evening, night and weekend work is a clearly regulated component under the applicable collective agreement. For employers bound by that collective agreement, OB compensation is therefore a mandatory and standard element of pay when work is performed during defined obekväm arbetstid.

    For employers not bound by a collective agreement, there is no automatic legal obligation to apply OB compensation as a separate wage component. However, the collective agreement is commonly used as a reference point when describing what constitutes established practice in the industry.

    2. Absence of OB with alternative compensation
    In practice, there are examples—mainly among non‑collectively bound taxi companies—where drivers do not receive OB compensation as a separate allowance. Instead, compensation may be structured through a higher base salary, guaranteed monthly pay, or other pay models.
    From Transport’s perspective, such arrangements may be regarded as acceptable only if the overall level of compensation and employment conditions are comparable to those normally achieved under the collective agreement. Whether this requirement is met is, however, a matter for the assessing authority to determine on the facts of each case.

    3. Assessment of employment conditions
    When evaluating whether employment conditions are “in line with collective agreements or established practice,” it is generally relevant to consider the total remuneration package, meaning base salary together with any supplements or compensatory mechanisms.
    Transport does not take a position on how authorities should weigh individual components, but notes that, in labour‑market practice, equivalence is often assessed holistically rather than by requiring that each specific pay component (such as OB) appears in identical form.

    4. Significance of missing OB compensation
    The absence of OB compensation does not automatically mean that employment conditions are inferior to industry practice. From a trade‑union perspective, the decisive factor is whether the overall structure and level of compensation adequately compensate for work performed during inconvenient hours.
    At the same time, if OB compensation is missing and there is no corresponding adjustment elsewhere, this may indicate that conditions deviate negatively from established practice. The legal or administrative significance of such a deviation is ultimately for the competent authority to assess.

    Concluding clarification
    Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet provides guidance based on the collective agreement and general industry practice but does not determine whether specific employment conditions meet the requirements of migration, labour‑permit or other regulatory frameworks. Any final determination regarding compliance rests with Migrationsverket or, where applicable, the courts.
    Jon Wall Administratör
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