With reference to the Swedish law on security Erik Helgeson, vice-president of the Swedish dockers’ union, Svenska Hamnarbetarenförbundet (https://hamn.nu/), was fired by the port of Gothenburg in February 2025. The publicly owned ports’ representatives argued that Helgeson had named to the court those companies responsible for arms trade between Sweden and Israel. The court had demanded that he do so as the union had announced an armaments’ boycott based on the Swedish law for a political strike which provides for more leverage for the unions compared to German law and which had been granted by the court for a brief period of time. In December 2024 68% of the union’s membership had voted to make such a boycott based on demands by Palestinian unions put forward to unions all over the world to take a stand against the war in Gaza.
The ver.di committee of Maritime workers in Hamburg which also represents the dockers in Hamburg was informed about the dismissal at its meeting on 5 February 2025 and expresses its solidarity with our colleague Erik Helgeson. We demand that the Port of Gothenburg reinstate our colleague Erik Helgeson with his full rights and entitlements, grant him full back pay, immediately cease any persecution of union members and stop the proceedings. This is an attempt to intimidate and silence critics campaigning for workers’ rights and trade union freedom. The criminalization of union activities must stop immediately!
Febraury 13, 2025 - Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft – ver.di Landesbezirk Hamburg. See pdf of this declaration.
Besenbinderhof 60, 20097 Hamburg, V.i.S.d.P.: L. Stubbe,
