With our 90,000 members, we are one of the largest unions affiliated to the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Sveriges Akademikers Centralorganisation, Saco).
Lärarnas Riksförbund does not organize unqualified employees nor principals, which gives us a unique ability to focus on what is important to professional teachers and on their interests. The majority of our members work in compulsory schooling (years 1–9) and in upper secondary schools both in the public and private sector.
The teachers at a school form a local branch. Every municipality has a municipal association, which belongs to one of our 29 districts. The district is responsible for the professional trade union training offered to the local union representatives and to safe and healthy reps. Those who are still studying to become teachers or study and career counsellors can join our student association at no charge.
The highest decision-making body of Lärarnas Riksförbund is the Council which convenes annually and lays down the general political framework for the union's activities. The Council consists of 145 delegates and elects the President and the two vice presidents as well as the National executive board consisting of 12 members. They are elected to a four-year term.
To support members and elected officers and representatives, Lärarnas Riksförbund has full-time employees and trade union officials. The majority of the staff works in the central office at Sveavägen 50 in Stockholm providing the services of experts on collective agreements, educational policy, the labour market and legal matters.