On behalf of The union of workers in Stockholm´s metro (underground) salutes this conference with radical, class-oriented unions and we thank PAME for the invitation to participate in this conference. In this conference are participating from our union, me and Ann Hellstenius, member oof the board of the union.

In Sweden also the last period we have different kind of attacks both from the capitalists and the government. The socialdemocratic, the so called left-green, government with the contribution of the parties of center and liberals are attacking many parts of the labor rights.

The corona pandemic situation is the alibi that they wanted to intensify their attacks.

The state gave hundreds of billions Swedish crowns to the big companies to support their profits and at the same time, nearly nothing for the working class and the small enterprises. In many cases unions and the health and safety committees demanded measures for the safety and the health of the working class (like masks, hand alcohol, to not work many people together etc). The Swedish state is talking about the personal responsibility meanwhile nearly nothing happening from the state organs to control the situation in working places and the public transports. Today we have more than 13.788 human beings dead in a population about as Greece. The game with the different companies which want to sale the vaccine keeps on and only 7,9% of the population got vaccine up to now.

Notice that Sweden wasn’t prepare for a situation like this because they privatized ALL the medical industry (didn’t have even a reserve for medical materials), privatized a big part of the health care and dismissed a lot of personal between 1990 up to now. 1990 had Sweden more than 2000 places for Intensive care and today normally are 500 and in some cases increased to 680 places.

Back to labor rights we got a new law last year that decrease the already limited right to strike. Maybe you know that in Sweden only the federations have the right to declare a strike (not the local unions) and only between when a collective agreement finished up to a new shall be agreed. Before and after this is not allowed to strike except some exceptions (as solidarity actions etc). Now its not allowed to strike about anything else except a collective agreement and this only in what demands you informed the bosses a certain time before! Any other action is prohibited.

Last year also the retirement age decided to be at 68 and in a couple of years at 69 and of course the pension lower.

Many of the trade unions in Sweden didn’t react at all or they΄re were positive in both laws. Only some local trade unions organized protests but up to now didn’t help to gather the majority of the working class.

Now the new attacks from both the capital and the state are to privatize the rest of the housing that is state property and to introduce what they call “market rent”, for the people to pay. The capital wants to increase their profit by all means. The state is coming also to privatize more sectors like the education, health etc and they want this year pass a law that make it possible for the employers to dismiss workers much easier and to not have even the right to appeal against it!

We are going to protest with symbolic actions (because of the restrictions) on the 1th of May, the Workers May day! We are going to keep on fighting with all our comrades, the working class in Sweden, Europe and all the world.

We need coordination to fight for our rights in generally and the claims that are standing in PAMEs introduction document

Contemporary working and living conditions with rights. Fixed daily work time and reduction of

working time. Hands off the 8hour/workday

Abolition of the antiworkers’ laws and reforms that were promoted and imposed the last years

Free collective bargaining without any state involvement, Collective Bargaining Agreements with significant increases in wages and securing important rights.

Protection of the health of all people. Protection of the health and safety of workers under the

responsibility of the state. We fight for Exclusively Public and Free Healthcare with immediate requisition of Private Health Centers.

Measures for the safe operation of all levels of education with protection measures for the health of pupils, students, teachers

Ensuring the free and unhindered action of trade unions and trade unionists, against the escalation of repression and authoritarianism. The state and business groups have no right to interfere in the unions.

Comrade greetings