By Davey Heller

On October 16th 2023, Palestinian trade unions put out an urgent call for action from their fellow workers internationally to take action to stop the arming of Israel. Despite millions of workers participating as individuals in the struggle against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and despite many unions passing motions in support of Palestine, the reality is that few concrete actions have been taken to enact this call and actually impose work bans that interrupt the flow of weapons into the Israeli death machine.

A notable exception was the Swedish Dockworkers Union (SDU) who, in December 2024, took a historic stand when they voted 68% in favour of imposing a six-day embargo on military cargo to Israel. However, Erik Helgeson, the SDU Deputy and Spokesperson, has now been sacked by the bosses of the Swedish Gothenburg RoRo Terminal in retaliation. A call for a global defence campaign has been launched in defence of Erik, and demands his reinstatement by the Workers in Palestine network.

It is interesting to note that Swedish dock workers took similar actions in 2022, placing an embargo on the loading and unloading of Russian ships in protest against Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine. However, as this action was in line with the efforts of western imperialists, in their attempts to isolate and weaken Russia, no reprisal actions were taken against the SDU.

In contrast, the six-day military embargo on Israeli military cargo in late 2024 by the SDU cuts across the united stand taken by western imperialism, including the Swedish government, in standing with Israel as it commits one horrific war crime after another against Palestinians. It is therefore no surprise that the bosses have moved against the SDU and seek to make an example of Erik Helgeson.

If workers internationally were to be inspired by the success of this action, they could use their industrial muscle, particularly at key choke points like the docks, to really shut down the western supplied Israeli war machine. At a time when the West is moving towards ever great acts of military confrontation, perhaps even World War 3, against its rivals, the last thing the ruling classes want are examples of workers intervening to shut down their wars.

Despite the efforts of rank and file networks such as Unionists for Palestine to build a movement for Palestine within the workers movement, the union bureaucracies have largely sat on their hands. The tame ACTU, beholden to both the ALP and the bosses more generally, has done nothing more than issue a couple of toothless statements calling on the Albanese Government to take action to hold Israel to account. They know full well that the ALP has not shifted a centimetre in its blind support for the Zionist state, but refuse any attempts to mobilise their members on the issue. Likewise, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), citing Australia’s draconian anti-strike laws, has not emulated the actions of their Swedish counterparts.

There are precedents in Australia for dock workers taking illegal action against imperialist genocide. In 1938, dock workers in the Waterside Workers Federation in Port Kembla took a brave stand, refusing to load the Dalfram, which was a ship loaded with pig iron bound for Japan, in protest against Japan’s genocidal assault on the Chinese capital of Nanking. They maintained their heroic stance for six weeks in full defiance of the BHP and the Australian Federal Government, and at great personal cost.

As part of the struggle to once again kindle this kind of fighting spirit within the rank and file of Australian unions and in the broader working class, it is important that in this country we take a public stand in defence of the Swedish dock workers and Erik Helgeson in particular.

Workers in Palestine have called for international action to pressure on Gothenburg RoRo Terminal and its majority owner, DFDS, to reinstate Erik Helgeson. They are calling for international statements of support from unions, protests and for individuals to email the company directly too.

Details of their call out can be found here: Defend Trade Union Rights – Support Erik Helgeson!

Statements of support for Erik can also be found on the SDU website here. You can follow the SDU for updates on Facebook.