On Tuesday, the National Board of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union unanimously voted to give notice about new nationwide solidarity action in support of Ukrainian trade union resistance against the Russian invasion. The new blockade will start on the 26th of May and will affect all marine transports going to or coming from Russia as well as ships owned or controlled by Russian interests in all Swedish ports until the 26th of June.

– We have seen a significant decrease in marine transports to and from Russia since our first solidarity action started in March. However, there are still some Swedish companies that want to carry on trading with the Putin regime and it’s corporate allies as this horrific war rages on, says SDU President Martin Berg in a comment.

– Neither the Swedish Government nor the Swedish Parliament have so far been willing to go further than the EU’s utterly useless port sanctions. This lack of political action allows the Putin regime to keep funding this invasion with profits from trade with Sweden. Therefore, we feel have an obligation to do what we can as an independent working class organisation, says Berg.

– Our trade union comrades in Ukraine have put a lot of effort into explaining the situation on the ground to our counterparts, to protect us from new attacks from the employers. All dockworkers have a very clear common interest at this point to cut off funding for this horrific invasion, as Russian bombardment as well as kidnappings and mass layoffs in occupied Ukrainian port cities is threatening to wipe out free trade union activity in the Black Sea, says President Berg.