6 September, 2010
Meeting under the banner Med Dig, För Dig, Nära Dig (With You, For You, Close to You), Pappers, Sweden’s Paperworkers Union, held its 23rd Congress from 3-5 September in Norrköpping. The weekend Congress came two weeks before national elections in Sweden, elections that quite likely will determine whether or not the modern Swedish social model will survive.
That point was driven home by Pappers President Jan-Henrik Sandberg, Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) President Wanja Lundby-Wedin, and Mona Sahlin, the leader of the Social Democrats and the desired Prime Minister-to-be in the 19 September elections.
Pappers President Jan-Henrik Sandberg
Sandberg told delegates in his opening remarks that the socialistic and democratic ideals of the party of Olof Palme had traditionally prioritized and delivered policies good for all people, not just a few people. He also reminded delegates that after four years of a conservative governing alliance masquerading as a party of the people, all that has occurred is a shredded social safety net, a spike in unemployment, and fewer opportunities for the young people of Sweden.
Sandberg also endorsed the platform of the red-green alliance that was put forward on 31 August. The alliance of the Social Democrats with the Left Party and the Green Party stands as the best chance, he said, for return to fair taxation and security of income. Improvement to the platform could occur, Sandberg added, if it were to include an energy policy that prioritized replacement of outdated nuclear reactors.
Lundby-Wedin said that four years of a right-wing government has not destroyed Sweden’s social model, but cautioned regional and section leaders of the 18,000-member union that four more years of conservative rule will indeed destroy the model.
The leader of Sweden’s Social Democrats, Mona Sahlin
Sahlin, speaking on day two of the Congress, said she was “provoked and angry” that the right-wing alliance of four parties has defined itself as the new workers’ party. She said a true workers’ party does not eliminate welfare schemes for those sick and disabled; it does not disqualify 500,000 from an unemployment fund; and it does not allow one in four young people to go without jobs.
She also outlined six policy initiatives in which the red-green alliance will prioritise job creation, including keeping the energy provider Vattenfall a state-owned company, an entity the “arrogance alliance” seeks to fully privatize over the next four years if it remains in power.
The Congress featured a series of break-outs, as well as an interesting pair of workshops involving managing directors from three Swedish forest products companies (Holmen, SCA, and Södra) speaking frankly on future sustainability initiatives inside the paper industry. The other workshop produced frank discussion on whether or not a small union can survive in the new industrial age, or if a merger might become a matter of necessity. That issue likely will be revisited by Pappers after its new four-year Congress period.
Sandberg was re-elected President, while Bengt Sjöholm was re-elected Secretary and Henry Heiniö was re-elected Treasurer. The six other members of Pappers’ nine-member governing board also won re-election. They include Lars-Olof Pettersson, Carina Magnusson-Fernlund, Lars-Göran Johansson, Pelle Eriksson, Mikael Lilja, and Nils-Erik Andersson.
A total of 149 delegates from the union’s 60 sections attended the Congress.