strike in Sweden since 1942 is now being waged by the forest workers. Some 15,000 workers are on strike throughout the northern part of the country, an important new step in the class struggle. The lumber industry represents one of the most important sources of income for Swedish capitalists -30 percent of the country's exports consist of woodbased commodities (paper, for example). During the past two years this sector of the export industry has experienced an extraordinary boom, with profits higher than ever. This stands in sharp contrast to the conditions of the workers who cut the trees. Their incomes have not gone up significantly and have even declined relative to those of other workers. Wages have varied between 10 and 35 Swedish crowns an hour (1S. kr. kr.=US$0.25), a result of the varying pay scales. The piecework system is widespread, and incomes are thus heavily dependent on the weather. This wage system places the workers under great pressure, and that results in the highest accident rate of any Swedish industry. It is the totality of these conditions that has brought all the -forest workers together in a strike. The strike had been building up for several months, with the workers holding many meetings and demonstrations, the aim of which was twofold: to pressure the union leadership to take up the demands of the workers and to mobilize all the workers in the area. The union leaders had tried to split the workers by taking up a few of the workers demands and trying to isolate the militant wing. The tactic has failed completely. On February 22 some 1,500 workers assembled in the most important preparatory meeting, many of those attending traveling more than 300 miles to the small village of Alvsbyn, where the meeting was held. The workers at the meeting adopted the following resolution: "To the workers of Sweden: "We forest workers are now facing the biggest conflict we have ever had with our employers. We are determined to fight to the end for our demands, especially the demand for a guaranteed monthly salary without any work evaluation. We have demanded this several times and have used all methods at our disposal, except striking, in an attempt to be heard. Unfortunately, our efforts have produced only a few small steps forward, We now have reason to fear that this year's wage negotiations will also be a big disappointment for us, so there is nothing left to do but go on strike to break the resistance of the employers. We do not do this for the sake of going on strike in itself, nor in desperation, nor because
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SWEDEN of a need to demonstrate our dissatisfaction. When we fight it is to win, and we know what we are doing. Our enemy is strong. Together with his allies he can raise the whole Swedish capitalist system against us. They control big parts of the country's riatural resources, almost all the factories, the shipyards, and the companies, and many big banks and mulfinational capital. Further, they have direct and indirect influence over the mass media. But we are not afraid of this strong enemy, for we have one strength that nothing can crush provided it is mobilized in the biggest possible way: workers solidarity. We believe we have the ability to do this. After all, our struggle is of concern to all the workers in the country. We therefore ask all Swedish workers: Hold meetings in your trade-union and political organizations! Support the forest workers' demand for a monthly salary! "Greetings in struggle, "The strike committee of the forest workers. At the same meeting, the workers confirmed their previous demand: for a monthly salary of 4, 000 5. kr., plus 25 S. kr. a day in bonuses. Given the unity that was established, the employers and the union leadership were unable to stop the workers, and the strike began on March 21, when 4, 000 workers downed their tools. Within just a few days 15,000 workers were on strike throughout the northern half of the country. The geographical breadth of the strike creates one big problem, however. Since the workers are spread out over hundreds of towns and small villages, it is very difficult for them to meet. For instance, some of the members of the central strike committee have to travel more than 300 miles to come to the meetings. A second problem is that the workers are employed by several different private companies and by the state. This makes it very difficult to force negotiations with the employers. The strike committee thus sees the strike also as a means of pressuring the union leadership to open negotiations with the employers. Up to now, the employers have refused negotiations, But their position will become weaker as stocks of timber begin to run out. For its part, the union bureaucracy has been compelled to demand negotiations; but af the same time it is making all sorts of maneuvers to break the strike. The Social Democratic newspapers in the region are slandering the workers daily, and Sixten Backstrom, the top union bureaucrat, has made some unbelievable statements. For instance, in reply to a demand from the workers that union strike funds be used to support the workers, he declared that this was "the most insolent thing that has happened so far. Our members should understand that you cannot handle union money in such a manner"! 30
At the beginning of April the workers took one step backward in an attempt to break the deadlock both with the employers and with the union leadership: They dropped the demand for 4, 000 S.kr. a month. But they added a precondition for negotiations: that the employers agree to guarantee that there will be an established monthly wage, its exact size to be determined in negotiations. The key requirement for breaking the position of the employers is now workers solidarity. The workers themselves understand this, and their appeal has produced results. Solidarity committees have been set up throughout the country, and in many factories (Volvo, and in the mining areas, for example Funds are being collected for the strikers. Several local unions and party organizations have also supported the strikers - to the great dissatisfaction of the top Social Democratic bureaucracy. The workers have printed 10,000 copies of a "10 S.kr. strike bill, " which is now being sold by the forest workers themselves and by the militants of the solidarity movement. A victory for the forest workers in their fight for a guaranteed monthly wage would be a victory for the whole working class. It would free the forest workers from the enormous stress to which they are presently subjected and would encourage other workers to follow in their footsteps. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Issue No. 20 of INPRECOR (February 27, 1975) carried an article by Professor Mihailo Markovic entitled "The Contradictions of States with Socialist Constitutions." This article was translated from a German version that appeared in the winter 1975 issue of the Austrian magazine Europdische Rundschau. It had escaped the attention of our editorial board that the original, English version of that article had already been published in The Spokesman, the journal of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation (No. 24-25, winter 1972-73) after having been delivered as a paper at the Bertrand Russell Centenary Symposium on Spheres of Influence in the Age of Imperialism, held at Linz, Austria, in September 1972. This essay was subsequently reprinted in a collection of essays by Professor Markovie entitled The Contemporary Marx (Spokesman Books, 1974, E4. This book can be ordered from the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, Bertrand Russell House, Gamble Street, Nottingham NG7 4ET, England). We are very sorry about this oversight and apologize to Professor Markovic and the friends of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation for our mistake.