Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 16:56:52 +0200 (MET DST)
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: Unemployment Demonstration, Sweden!


Forwarding to the lists the action in Sweden the last couple of days. And
article by the Swedish Usec. My comments to the article and an article
written recently on the situation for the unemployed!

Bob Malecki
>
>Unemployd march in Stockholm!
>
>
>More than 4.000 people, mostly unemployd unionists, marched against the
>social
>democratic government and its austerity program, here in Stockholm last
>thursday.
>Initiated by a unemployd transportationworker, mother of four children,
>the protest gained
>nationwide attention and support. Among the speakers at the
>demonstration where the
>chairman of the Transport workers union, Hans Wahlstr=9Am, and the Hans
>Karlsson from
>the union federation LO. Notably was the absens of the LO-chair, Bertil
>Johnsson, known
>to all for his steadfast support of the ruling social demokratic party.
>
>
>The swedish primeminister G=9Aran Persson and his minister of work,
>Margaretha Winberg, has toured Europe with their message of =D3severe
>cuts without unrest=D3. Their masage was eaven used by the German
>kapital as a tool against  unions and the SPD in the struggle against
>workers right to full pay for sickleave.
>
>
>However, the marchers in Stockholm showed another side of the coin, a
>growing sense of enough is enough among tousands of swedish
>workers, employd or unemployd. The cuts made in the one-time famous
>swedish well-fare systems have
>made workers in Sweden in a situation not known for generations in this
>country.  More than 700.000 swedes are out of the normal job-market
>and the figure is rising (about 14 %). At the same time severe cuts are
>made in the unemployment system, as well as in the social secutity net,
>leaving tens of thousands on the brink of disaster!
>
>
>No one could miss the anger and the frustration among the marchers
>and the open distrust of the social democratic party in government.
>They listen to big buissiness and show us aside, was one of many
>comments. Im a social democrat without a party of my one said one
>sign of a worker, capturing the sentiments among many.
>
>
>Notably was also the awareness of the danger that EU and the
>projected single currency represent to workers. A mode for generalised
>attacks against workers rights all over Europe.
>
> At the same time the growing need for coordinated actions all over
>Europe come to life, as this manifestation where held the same day as
>the first black thursday day of action in France. As one worker said on
>national radionews: If this doesent help us to get a change, then we
>will
>opt for a solution a la France`!
>
>
>Goran Karrman
>
>Internationalen
>
>Stockholm
>
Hi Internationalen,

Thanks for the article! But pictures are unnecessary. I am unemployed and
can not afford the time for downloading pictures.

I think that you should mention that a BIG demonstration along the same
lines took place in Skellete=E5!  On tuesday night 1500 people went after
Goran Perssons ass. This also was and entirely new segment of "grass roots"
rebellion to the right turn of the Social Democracy into the camp of the
bougeoisie! !500 at a demonstration in Skelleftea says a lot about what is
going on up here.

Enclosed is and article i wrote recently about a meeting on unemployment
here in Robertsfors. It is incredible the radicalization that is taking place!

Warm Regards
Bob Malecki

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Robertsfors,Sweden

The Ticking Bomb!
--------------------------------

In a large sal with every seat filled, a Social Democratc Representative
of parliment met with the unemployed in this Commune in northern Sweden.
The meeting, and atomsphere of rage and indignation by the very heart of
the Social Democratic base in the workers movement against its own leaders...

A broad range of young and old, women and men, the grey mass of now over
1 million (!) people in a population of 8 and a half million who for years
have supported the Social Democrats are now beginning to move.

Immediately after the parlimentry member made her presentation defending
the present policies of the Social Democratic government, the fireworks
started. In a statement made by the author of this article who said that
the present policies of the Social Democratic goverment are directed
against the workers movement, and against the trade unions and are
policies, that they have worked out together with the bosses has put
the Social Democratc leadership on the other side of the barricades
with their guns pointed at the head of the working class. There policies
of attacking the trade union laws of "first in last out", there cuts in
unemployment, everything they have done is in principle a direct
declaration of war againt the workers movement.

Against this policy we purpose a 6 hour working day, a mobilisation of
the working class to combat unemployment. We purpose that trade union
candidates  be purposed in the coming elections on a program to stop the
dismantling of the welfare state. We purpose a broad educational program
to combat the passivity of sitting home on the dole. And these purposals
are in direct contradiction to the present policies of the Social
Democratic government. Only a government with these goals in mind
will do.....

This barrage against the leadership was met by stormy applause in the whole
room!

Speaker after speaker attacked the leadership for selling out the workers
movement. For selling out the youth. For throwing women out on unemployment.
For cutting health care. For cutting in the schools. Speaker after speaker
in a growing sense of rage attacking the people that they have voted for
for years!

The Social Democratic leadership tried to counter with that she understood
all of this ,but that we have to understand that the Social Democrats
inherited the situation from the previous government.

Speaker after speaker stood up and said it is you who are passing the
anti-worker and anti-trade union legislation with your partners in the
bougeois Center Party. (A party which represents the farmers in Sweden and
who have made billions off the entry into the common market through common
market subventions to farmers in Europe).

The gap between the Social Democratic top and its working class base as
never been as large as it is today. Although the conciousness of these
social democratic workers is on the level of seeing all of the reforms
being wripped down around them and a million people out of a job. This
conciousness is economic thinking at this point. There anger is directed
at the party which they have voted for for years, as being responsible.
And rightly so!

Although these workers do not understand at present that the leadership
of there party has deserted them. They do understand what mass unemployment
and the cuts mean in everyday life for themselves and there families.

These workers do not understand that their leaders have joined the German
push for a monetary union and a united imperialist bougeoisie led by the
Germans in europe is the goal. They do not realise that the Social
Democratic leadership of professional bureaucrats and people who came
straight out of a college somewhere have taken over the reins of
leadership. That this leadership in a few short years has taken Sweden
to the brink of a gigantic disaster of poverty and unemployment.

But they do know that something has gone wrong. Very seriously wrong
with the politics and the leadership they have voted for. What we have
here is a broad mass of anger and frustration against the treacherous
leaders of Social Democray that has betrayed them. They demand answers
and a new political line which favors the working class.

For the first time in years militants who before would be laughed at are
being applauded and clapped on the back. Statements of we should march
on Stockholm and throw the whole bunch of them out and other wise
remarks were very common at this meeting.

The Social Democratic leadership no longer has a monopoly on the workers
movement. Workers are moving to the left as the situation everyday worsens
for them and the party leadership is moving to the right. The trade union
leadership feeling the pressure is somewhere in the middle. Afraid to
slap the hand that has fed them all these years while having to face the
growing rage of the working class who is suffering the largest cuts
since the depression!

The left party which is the former Euro-communist party but now say that they
are no longer communist, but "feminist" and envionmentalist have also missed
the growing rage of the swedish working class. This turn by the former Euro-
commmunist was an appeal to the present petty bougois feminist movent and
bougeois enviornmental movement. But they have no clear answer to the
millon workers who are growing angry.. Very angry. In fact the workers
movement at this point is much futher to the left then both its Social
Democratic and former Euro-communist leadership.

Only a new leadership forged in struggle with this growing army of enraged
working class people can forge the way forward. On a program to fight for
the preservation of the welfare state but also a workers government that
will go forward and crush the Swedish capitalists dreams of a united
european bourgeoisie.

For a workers government in Sweden as elsewhere is the only garantee of
keeping the reforms and defeating those that will take us down the road
of unemployment and starvation..

Warm Regards

Robert Malecki
Member of the Communal Workers Union in Sweden

We organise the most people in Scandinavia!

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