As the British labour union Unite starts sending out ballot papers concerning industrial action to it’s members in the port of Liverpool on the 25th of July, the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union expresses solidarity with our colleagues in the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
For decades now, trade unions around the world have been pressured to keep wage claims down as the big companies were making record profits and the economical gap between workers and their bosses and company owners steadily increased. We have been told that increasing wages is the key factor driving inflation, causing bankruptcies and unemployment.
That economical doctrine is currently clashing hard with reality. At this point in time, European inflation rates are often four or five times as high as wage increases and unemployment benefits have been frozen for a long time. All the while working class households struggle with sky-rocketing electrical bills, food prices and everything in between.
Yet, there is no new trend of modesty amongst CEO’s or shareholders and the giants of the maritime industry are still making record-breaking profits. Instead of re-thinking failed economical doctrines, many elected leaders are now aggressively using their political power to hinder trade unions from effectively defending their members in this cost-of-living crisis. The UK Tory Government’s decision to permit employers to use temp agencies to replace striking workers is one such current example that cannot be met with passivity. If the politicians are shamelessly backing the rich, workers have to stick together across national borders.
For us, this means that if our fellow dockworkers in Liverpool vote to take industrial action against Peel Ports in order to win a fair CBA with wage increases actually matching rising prices, the SDU will do everything we can to support them. We do this knowing that other European dockworkers and the working class in general will soon be facing similar challenges elsewhere too.
If our British brothers and sisters should request it in an upcoming dispute, the SDU will make every effort in terms of direct international solidarity action against ships going to or coming from Peel Ports’ terminals, not only in Liverpool but all over the UK and Ireland.
Stand strong, brothers and sisters.
In solidarity,
Martin Berg
National Chairman
Swedish Dockworkers´ Union
Gothenburg
25th of July, 2022