Swedish Dockworkers’ Union (SDU) reaffirms commitment to ending military trade with Israel as Labour Court hears initial arguments about the sacking of the union’s national spokesperson

 

In December last year, the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union held a referendum concerning industrial action to block military cargo going to and from Israel through Swedish ports. 68% of union members throughout the country voted in favour of going forward with the protest, in solidarity with the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank.

 

The union’s action was fiercely challenged by the port employers, both in the media and in the Swedish Labour Court. The union pushed on and in February the Labour Court decided that the solidarity action was legal and could proceed as planned.

 

However, on the same day as the verdict the union’s spokesperson and national deputy chairman Erik Helgeson was sacked by his employer, the DFDS-owned Gothenburg Roro Terminal. The employer also sent out a press release about the layoff notice citing concerns for ”national security”.

 

This week, eight months after defending the union’s solidarity action in court, Helgeson returned to the Swedish Labour Court in Stockholm. This time, his own illegal termination was the subject of the day, as the Court held the first of several meetings in an extensive case that is expected to drag on until the second half of 2026.

 

Speaking to supporters outside the court house on Monday, Helgeson reaffirmed that the union will stand it’s ground.

 

* The employers’ will never dictate who is allowed to speak for the SDU. In a functioning democracy that decision is up to the rank-and-file dockworkers of the union alone.

 

* The SDU will not shy away from solidarity with other workers suffering injustice. Targeting our elected representatives will not silence us. We were right to take action in February and the membership’s decision still stands.

 

* It is a disgrace that the Swedish state has in fact increased military trade with Israel as 20 000 Palestinian children have now been killed in the attack on Gaza. According to Save The Children that is one child killed every hour for the last 23 months. Military trade with Israel must end.

 

* The SDU will not be worn down by defamation or an exhausting legal process. There will be no buy-outs or settlements that doesn’t include Erik returning to work on the quays.