Radio Sweden News April 25, 2003
Municipal Workers Strike -- Day Three
Friday, 2003-04-25
As the strike among Sweden´s local government employees went into its third day Friday, the two sides offered widely different scenarios for the repercussions should employers give in to the strikers´ demands.
Nine thousand Swedish municipal workers walked out Wednesday, affecting daycare, schools garbage collection, hospitals, and other public services. The strikers are demanding a 5.5 percent wage increase, saying they have lagged far behind other public sector workers.
The Association of Local Authorities says the wage hike would mean the loss of 5000 jobs. The Municipal Workers Union has countered with its own calculations, saying that meeting its demand could be covered by an increase in local taxes by just one tenth of one percent.
US Wants Access to SAS Reservation System
Friday, 2003-04-25
The Scandinavian Airlines System has asked the American authorities for a delay in granting access to its reservation system.
The request from US Customs was made Thursday. It follows similar demands made on other European airlines flying to the United States, and is a consequence of the fight against terrorism following the September 11th attacks.
The European Commission has reached agreement with the American authorities that exempts turning over sensitive information on ethnic background, religion, or health. But the European Parliament has called on the Commission to suspend the agreement, saying it violates the European directive on protecting privacy.
The Swedish Data Inspection Board has said it is doubtful whether SAS could turn over sensitive information under this country´s personal information legislation. The airline already sends passport information on all its U.S.A.-bound passengers to US Customs.
Swedish Contribution to Iraq Mine Removal
Friday, 2003-04-25
Sweden will contribute to the United Nations program for landmine removal in Iraq.
The government decided Thursday to allocate just under two million dollars for personnel and computer equipment for one year to maintain a database for the program, along with other personnel for two months to work with the destruction of undetonated mines, bombs, and ammunition, as well as logistical support for healthcare and vehicles.
Mammograms Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths
Friday, 2003-04-25
A Swedish study has produced strong evidence that women who get regular mammograms have a substantially reduced risk of dying from breast cancer.
Researchers at Falun Central Hospital in northern Sweden compared the number of deaths from breast cancer in two counties here twenty years before and after regular screenings were introduced in 1978. The study, involving more than 200,000 women, found a 44 percent reduced risk of dying among those aged between 44 and 69.
The results are being published in the coming issue of the British medical journal "The Lancet", along with similar findings from the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, a researcher in Umeå has discovered a substance that kills several kinds of cancer cells. The results of a doctoral dissertation presented Friday indicate that invasin, a bacteria protein, kills cancer cells in prostrate cancer, leukemia, and some types of brain tumors and lung cancer. The studies were carried out on mice.
Danish Parliament Calls for Swedish Reactor Closure
Friday, 2003-04-25
Danish lawmakers have again urged Sweden to shut down a nuclear reactor that lies across the narrow strait separating the two countries.
By a vote of 102 to 0, the Danish parliament Thursday asked Sweden to set a closing date for the second reactor at Barsebäck, which is just 40 kilometers from the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
The first reactor at Barsebäck was closed in 1999, beginning a nuclear phase-out approved by Swedish voters in a 1980 referendum. But politicians here are still in disagreement over when to close the second Barsebäck reactor.
11:18:44 PM 
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