Male train drivers in Sweden are protesting a company ban on shorts... by wearing skirts.
More than a dozen drivers and conductors working on Roslagsbanan commuter train have ditched their trousers in favour of more (ahem) breezy attire to see them through the hot Swedish summer.
According to thelocal.se, Martin Akersten, a train driver participating in the ban, told local newspaper Mitti: "It can be over 35 degrees celsius in the train cab on hot summer days."
Swedish train driver Martin Akersten poses wearing a skirt
Speaking to the BBC, Akersten explained that he and his colleagues decided to wear skirts after they were informed of the changes to company dress code last winter.
"We have always said that when summer comes, we will get some skirts and wear them," he explained. "It's very warm weather here so we would like to wear shorts but if we can't then we have skirts for comfort."
A spokesperson for Arriva, the company who employ the drivers, says they are happy for staff to wear skirts.
"Our thinking is that one should look decent and proper when representing Arriva and the present uniforms do that. If the man only wants [to wear] a skirt then that is OK," the company's head of communications Tomas Hedenius told Mitti.
"To tell them to do something else would be discrimination."
According to Hedenius there will be another meeting in September where the subject of uniforms will be discussed.
*sighs* Looks like a long, skirt-clad summer in Sweden.
What do you think of the drivers' protest? Let us know in the comments below.