“When you’re a dock worker, it’s very hard to look the other way,” explained Erik Helgeson. Having spent the last 20 years working at the port of Gothenburg, unloading everything from bananas to trucks, he sees the commodities shipped to and from Sweden up close.

“Let’s say you’re handling South African cargo or Chilean fruit,” Helgenson said. “It’s very obvious that you’re contributing to trade that is upholding a fascist or an apartheid regime.”

The Swedish Dockworkers’ Union – of which Helgeson is national deputy chair and spokesperson – has a long history of fighting against injustice. But now, Helgenson is fighting for himself: in February, when the union blockaded military cargo to and from Israel, he was fired from his job.

Given the close proximity to the country’s imports and exports, it’s no surprise that members of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union voted last December to block the handling of military equipment destined for or originating from Israel. [...]

Dock workers anticipated pushback to the blockade, which swiftly arrived in the form of a legal challenge to their action from employer association Ports of Sweden. Following a hearing on the anticipated consequences of the blockade, the country’s specialised labour court, which rules on labour disputes, gave workers the green light for their six-day boycott of military cargo.

Then came the unexpected. The same day that the court handed down its judgement, Helgeson was fired by DFDS, the Danish international shipping and logistics firm that owns the majority of the Gothenburg ro-ro terminal – a term for the specialised vessels known as roll-on roll-off ships – where Helgeson worked. [...]

That same day, DFDS put out a press release stating that Helgeson’s dismissal was “with reference to national security,” using language from Sweden’s national security law. Sweden joined NATO in 2024 and port workers were given enhanced responsibilities for security.

This new allegation was a shock to Helgeson, and far more serious than the one that had been levelled at him during the meeting.
The employer had initially explained Erik’s termination with reference to port security, which, Helgeson explained, covers misdemeanours like “showing up in the port without bringing your ID, but you still manage to get in.” That allegation was a world away from the one the company is now making publicly: that he was a national security threat.

Despite the severity of this new allegation, the police quickly made clear that they would not pursue charges against Helgeson, stating publicly that there was no case to answer.

In spite of this, the company has maintained its decision to dismiss Helgeson, all while refusing to expand on its reasons. Helgeson’s story – the sacking of an elected union official over Gaza – has shocked not only Sweden, but become a global news item.[...]

Sweden is one of several countries in which workers have objected to military shipments to and from Israel.

“Dockworkers in many countries, including Sweden, the United States, Morocco, South Africa and Italy, have taken solidarity actions for Palestine since 2010 by blockading Israeli ships and military cargo,” said Katy Fox-Hodess, an academic researching dockworker solidarity. [...]

“People say: ‘this is not a union issue, because it’s not about money or work schemes.’ But human rights is not just some soft leftist concept. It’s the basis for trade union organising all over the world.”

DFDS and Gothenburg ro-ro terminal did not respond to a request for comment.