Ten years have now passed since the Swedish Syndicalists started their work with a independent Syndicalist organization for a conscious revolutionary struggle on the economic battlefield, the only field where the workers can carry on their struggle for emancipation to any advantage and with the prospect of victory.

The ideas of revolutionary Syndicalism were for the first time consciously propagated here in Sweden about fifteen years ago. True, discontent had already before been expressed over the lack of possibilities for an effective struggle by means of the Swedish craft union movement, and strong voices were heard for a rebuilding of these organizations in a revolutionary direction, but the Syndicalist ideas were not clearly formulated, aye, they were simply unknown to the workers of Sweden.

The Young Socialist movement of Sweden may be said to be the movement which during these years made the ideas of Syndicalism and its tactical methods known. Not as to say that the Young Socialist movement was the direct cause of the appearance of the Syndicalist movement as an organization — economic development and the necessity of revolutionary economic struggle would sooner or later have made Syndicalism necessary anyhow, and the practical experience of the Workers would then, perhaps, have formulated these ideas, but the Young Socialist movement with its energetic work of agitation and enlightenment on this subject accelerated this development. The Swedish Syndicalist Labor Movement owes great thanks for this conscious Syndicalist agitation carried on by the Young Socialist movement, for this agitation had the effect that the Syndicalist organization in Sweden, when it became an independent fighting organization, immediately took a position which was in complete consonance with the ideas of International Syndicalism.

The reason for the forming of this organization was simply that the old organization had plainly shown its incapacity to seriously represent the workers’ demands and interests. There was nothing else to do than to take this step, namely the step of trying to gather the workers in a new revolutionary organization for a necessary struggle against Capitalism.

Already before we had, during a series of years, energetically worked for the remodeling of the Craft organization in a Revolutionary Syndicalist direction. It was the Young Socialist movement which during this period was the driving power in this opposition. We got great numbers of workers on our side, demanding a remodeling of the old movement. A great number of propositions and motions with this purpose in view were made at the Congresses of the National Craft Unions and of the Landsorganization but these propositions were defeated without much debate. Not even after the smarting defeat of the general strike of 1909 would the Landsorganization make the smallest change in spite of the fact that at the National Congress in 1909 there were about forty different motions which all proposed changes in more or less radical direction.

1907, 1908 and 1909 are three years of mighty struggle in the history of the Swedish Labor Movement. One great battle followed upon another on the economic field and culminated in the great general strike of 1909. Most of these battles turned out to be stinging defeats for the Swedish Labor movement. The organizations were partly razed and great numbers of workers were thrown into unemployment and a considerable number of them were compelled to emigrate to foreign countries, especially to America, in order to try to make the living that was denied them in Sweden, thru the conscienceless persecution of the employing class. It was the revolutionary workers who had to stand the worst persecution, and when the workers demanded that the organizations should step in to protect this energetic revolutionary element in the labor movement, the reformist leaders showed the most callous indifference. They were apparently happy to see these fellow workers chased out of the country. By such means these revolutionaries, who were so troublesome for the reformist leaders, were gotten rid of.

The cause of all these defeats was exclusively this: that the battles were not conducted according to the methods demanded by the circumstances. The old craft union movement was permeated with that accursed consideration for the Capitalist class and their system of society, which is such a characteristic trait of the reformist labor movement thruout the world. If during these years the Swedish workers had resorted to revolutionary fighting methods, the results would surely have been different. The workers would then have emerged as victors from those battles.

After the inglorious end of the general strike everything was on the verge of falling apart. The organizations were thrown to pieces and unfit for battle and, what was worse, great numbers of Swedish workers had lost faith in all organization and its ability to gain the demands of the working class. The very idea of organization and solidarity had received a hard knock.

What was to be done in order to pull the workers out of this stupor? How could we get new life and a revolutionary will into this listless class? That was the most burning question of the day among the wide-awake workers. It was at this time that the syndicalistically inclined workers of Sweden took hold with all their power in order to create the Syndicalist Revolutionary fighting organization. They had completely lost faith in the ability of the old organization to develop in a revolutionary direction and for this reason energetic agitation was started for a new organization. A great number of meetings were held on the question where the workers gathered resolved in favor of forming such an organization.

After a preliminary conference in SKANE, where a committee was elected to do the preliminary work for a new organization, about twenty craft union representatives, together with others, met in convention in Stockholm at midsummer, 1910, to lay the foundation for the Syndicalist Organization in Sweden. After three days of earnest discussion the organization was ready to start on its career in life and to commence the necessary battle for the interests of the working class.

The name decided upon was “Central Organization of Workers of Sweden” (Sveriges Arbetares Centralorganisation). It was built on local “Samorganizations” in every place (Sam together). Technically these had for their purpose to unite all the workers of the locality, regardless of craft or occupation, in a unified class organization. As our organization has developed we have also worked out the necessary industrial organs inside the organization in order to divide the local Samorganizations in industrial subsections in the bigger communities with their many different kinds of industrial workers. In most of the big industries thruout the country, we have in our conferences selected industrial education and action committees whose purpose has been to serve as organs for activity along industrial lines when such proved to be necessary. As a whole the members are welded together in a unified class organization.

Already from the start our organization experienced a heavy resistance. Not enough that Capitalism began a ruthless battle against us, as was to be expected, but the old organization, particularly its leading men, has also done everything to put our movement down. In this struggle against us the reformists have used every means. Lies, slander, and treason have been the most common methods. Many of our battles have been broken up because the old organization acted as traitors. They worked hand in hand with the employers against us but we are proud to point out that in spite of these traitors we ourselves have NEVER acted in a similar manner against the members of the old organization when they were out on fight.

The membership figure has risen slowly, but surely, from year to year. The following figures will illuminate the development during these years both in local Samorganizations and number of members:

Dec. 31 1910…. 21 L. S . 696 members
Dec. 31 1911…. 38 L. S….1175 members
Dec. 31 1912…. 64 L. S….2037 members
Dec. 31 1913…. 94 L. S….3709 members
Dec. 31 1914…. 99 L. S.. . .4519 members
Dec. 31 1915…. 98 L. S….4880 members
Dec. 31 1916… 144 L. S….9295 members
Dec. 31 1917… 196 L. S. ..15216 members
Dec. 31 1918 . . . 296 L. S. . . 20331 members
Dec. 31 1919… 353 L. S.. .24000 members

1920 shows the same upward tendency only in a little speedier tempo. There is as yet no statistics elaborated for the past half but we can nevertheless state that S.A.C. (Central Organization of Workers of Sweden) at the moment of writing has 420 local Samorganizations with a little over 30,000 members. This figure is not very large, but Sweden is a small country of only some 6,000,000 inhabitants, and we are sure it will not be many years before the Syndicalist Organization has broken thru completely. The strength of Syndicalism in Sweden must however not be computed according to this membership figure for it is much greater. All around us among the masses of the workers, outside our organization, Syndicalism and its methods have become recognized and our ideas conquer. It now only remains for those workers to transplant their ideas into practice in the way of organization.

The Swedish Syndicalist Organization has already from the start stood as an uncompromising fighter against Capitalism. The number of battles during the years past proves this clearly.

From June 25, 1910 to December 31, 1919, the local Samorganizations have, according to the reports, conducted not less than 1,046 battles. A great number of other battles have also been conducted but have not been reported. The figure given includes mainly the open battles. In some cases the demands of the members have been wholly or in part complied with without the necessity of going to an open fight.

Of the 1,046 battles mentioned, 705 ended with victory for the workers, 84 with defeat and 257 with compromise. Besides, there has on the different places of work been conducted an extensive job battle, — that means fights on the job with different means, by which methods the members have gained considerable advantages. So, for instance, the Construction Workers in the S.A.C. have on a large scale used what they call the “Register” by means of which they have from January 1, 1917 to June 30, 1919, won a wage increase of not less than 145%. This is a quite noteworthy improvement won thru this persistent and conscious battle on the job for industrial control and fixing of wages. During these years the S.A.C. has been a battling organization and will be so much more in the future.

All the branches of the organization are developing towards greater stability. The financial status is relatively good. A newly started printshop is working under high pressure to produce all the literature which is spread in millions of copies over the country. The publishing bureau issues books and pamphlets in rapid succession, treating of the different phases of the actual class struggle.

Our paper “Syndikalisten” which is issued twice a week now has an edition of 15,000 on Wednesdays and 17,000 on Saturdays. Steps are now being taken to issue “Syndikalisten” as a daily paper. For this purpose the Organization has bought a house in Stockholm for 250,000 kronor in order to fit it up as a printshop and newspaper office and organization offices.

Special papers are issued quite frequently in large editions and in some parts of the country local Syndicalist papers are planned in order to better be able to agitate for Syndicalism.

All in all the Swedish Syndicalist movement is in a state of rapid development, not only is the membership constantly increasing but the stabilization progresses, making the members conscious Syndicalists able to know what they want and to know the task they have to perform in the imminent struggle for the re-organization of society.

[i]Transcribed by Revolution's Newsstand