A national port strike has been launched by the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union (Hamnarbetarförbundet, HF) on 21 May, affecting operations in all Swedish ports where the union is represented.
This comes despite the conclusion of a new sector-wide Port and Stuveri Agreement between the employer organisation Ports of Sweden and the Swedish Transport Workers’ Union, which was signed on 20 May.
While the Transport Workers’ Union withdrew its strike notice after securing an agreement on staffing rules, partial pensions, and wage increases, HF is continuing with planned industrial action, citing unresolved concerns over union rights, protection for elected officials, and working conditions for temporary staff.
The initial HF strike took place between 12:00 and 18:00 on 21 May. Additional targeted strike actions, including blockades on overtime, temporary staffing, new hiring and modified working hours, are set to follow in various ports from 22 May onwards. Further walkouts are scheduled at selected companies between 30 May and 5 June.
Criticism of the Transport agreement
HF has criticised the separate agreement reached by the Transport Workers’ Union as insufficient, particularly regarding staffing reforms. According to HF, the agreement’s provisions on temporary employment are limited to a protocol note encouraging employers to consider the need for predictability and time off. “It is not good enough to change the life situation of temporary workers,” HF said. “We are therefore continuing to pursue our demands.”
Ports of Sweden has condemned HF’s industrial action, arguing that with a valid first-hand agreement now in place through the Transport Workers' Union, the HF strike is illegal under Sweden’s peace obligation laws. The employers’ association has submitted a formal legal objection to HF’s actions.
“A very small group is now attempting to halt Sweden’s flow of goods, with serious consequences for the economy and national preparedness,” said Johan Grauers, chief negotiator at Ports of Sweden. HF represents just 0.02 per cent of Sweden’s total workforce but has been responsible for one third of all strike notices in the country over the past eight years.
The Port and Stuveri Agreement covers around 2,900 workers across 58 companies in Sweden’s port sector. Whether the ongoing HF strikes will lead to further negotiations or legal proceedings remains to be seen, but the labour unrest is already affecting Sweden’s critical import and export infrastructure.
