Sweden: dockers go on the offensive after union leader fired for blocking military cargo to Israel

In February, Erik Helgeson, the national deputy chair and spokesperson of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union, was fired. The reason? The union voted to block the handling of military equipment destined for Israel.

In response to the workers’ decision, Gothenburg Roro Terminals (GRT), owned by Danish shipping giant DFDS, came down in full force against Helgeson, who was dismissed on the bogus grounds of being a threat to “national security”. 

This is an unprecedented attack on the Union and Helgeson, who has been a leading figure among the Dockworkers since the collective bargaining dispute of 2017. 

The union is alleged – by the employer, not the state – to have broken the law by compiling a dossier for the Swedish Labour Court "on the military trade exchange with Israel". But this is nothing more than a cheap excuse, since the dossier is based on public information. 

The union has taken the GRT to court over the illegitimate firing of Helgeson. The problem is that the multinational company operating the port can easily absorb the small fines that any court asks it to pay. DFDS reported a revenue of more than a billion euros in the first quarter of 2025 alone. 

Therefore, the union is now demanding an amendment to their collective bargaining agreement, where wrongful dismissals would incur damages of 1 percent of the employer's annual turnover. They are also demanding greater damages for other attempts to obstruct the work of elected worker representatives. In addition, they are demanding a strengthened obligation for the bosses to enter into negotiations, a ceiling on the use of temporary workers, a larger fund for supporting workers in need, and more.

A threat to profits

Capitalists use warmongering and nationalism to strike at workers. In this case, the real purpose of any talk about ‘foreign threats’ and ‘national security’ is obvious. It is simply meant to prevent a blockade by a militant union, which threatens the capitalists’ profits. With the dock workers' history of struggle, it is not difficult to understand the employers' desire to break their fighting spirit. 

At a time when the struggles between imperialist powers are on the rise, with governments investing ever more money in rearming their militaries, capitalists in the arms and transport industry see their chance to make big money from war and conflict. But war and militarisation have also meant the radicalisation of millions, especially among the youth, as we have seen around the world during the Palestine movement. 

In February, Erik Helgeson, the national deputy chair and spokesperson of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union, was fired. The reason? The union voted to block the handling of military equipment destined for Israel / Image: Daniel Bernman

The last thing the capitalists want is to see a section of the working class join that struggle and take action that, unlike street demonstrations and student protests, directly targets their profits. That is why the capitalists and the state are restricting democratic rights in an attempt to prevent struggle and organisation. But this comes at a price, as it will provoke even deeper anger towards the capitalists, the politicians and the entire capitalist system.

Strike action

The workers have not stopped at taking the GRT to court over the illegitimate firing of Helgeson. On 30 April, the Union's collective agreement with the Ports of Sweden expired with no new agreement in place. In order to force the employers to the negotiating table, the union went on strike in all the country's ports on 21 May, with 89 percent of union members voting in favour of the strike.

The employers have refused to hold serious negotiations and have answered with lockouts and by using strikebreakers. They have not even put forward their demands. Instead, they are counting on an agreement with the broader transport union federation, which they argue will be the norm for all dock workers. Initially, this seemed to backfire, as the Transport union also called for strikes. But now they have come to an agreement, leaving it up to the Dockworkers' union to go it alone.

This is not unfamiliar territory for the Dockworkers' union. The Dockworkers’ union are not part of the main trade union confederation, LO, which allows them to be more militant. They have also kept old democratic traditions – like members having the right to vote for a strike and on whether the union should accept offers by the employers – unlike the rest of the Swedish trade union movement, where the leadership decides everything. For this reason, the rest of the trade union movement, especially the leadership of the LO, have traditionally refused to support the dockworkers. Even now, when a basic trade union right is being attacked, they have remained silent. 

The dock workers are not alone, however. They have the support of all those who have protested the genocide in Gaza. They have been sent many messages of support by local branches of trade unions, a glimpse of the real support that exists among workers for their struggle. More importantly, the International Dockworkers Council (IDC) has promised support. 

On Monday, Belgian Dockworkers refused to unload a ship that came from Gothenburg, as this had been loaded by strikebreakers. This is the only ship that the employers have managed to send to sea using strikebreakers. It turns out that the office personnel and bosses who were used as scabs are not as efficient as actual dockworkers.

So far, the Dockworkers' strike has been limited to a few days' action at a time to get the bosses to back down. However, as the bosses seem resolute, this conflict is likely to escalate, which would dig into the profits of Swedish capitalists. The overwhelming majority of imports and exports go through the ports. 

This would also be a source of inspiration for other Swedish workers who want to fight back, despite their trade union leaders' best efforts to stop them.  

In the Swedish section of the Revolutionary Communist International, we wholeheartedly support the dockers’ strike action and their previous blockade of Israeli military equipment. The cynical attempt of the employers to sabotage a militant trade union by firing Helgeson, and the international solidarity that he and the Swedish dockers have received reveals where the real dividing lines in society lie: not between nations, but along class lines.

This attack highlights the need to broaden the struggle to also defend the working class's right to organise and democratic rights. An attack on the dockers is an attack on the entire working class.

• Solidarity with Erik Helgeson and the Dockworkers’ Union!
• Defend the trade union rights! 
• Fight the war mongering!
• Stop Israel's occupation of Palestine!