The modern SUF was born into a decade when the class war of the elites
against the working class was put into overdrive. Mass unemployment,
privatizations, more inhumane immigration policies and a rougher social climate
were things that the three SUF clubs which emerged independently of eachother in
1993. The groups in Uppsala, Gävle and the large island of Gotland soon decided
to form a federation. The activists wanted more focus and effective organizing
in the libertarian struggle against injustices and for a better society - an
organization open for all. They were forced to do everything from scratch -
rebuild the tradition of people's movements that almost a century of the Social
Democrat Workers Party (SAP) in power and it's accompanying rule of the
ombudsman and the bureaucrat. A friendly relationship to the revolutionary
syndicalist union SAC was there from the start, but SUF is not it's formal youth
movement, and therefore enjoys a high degree of self-government and freedom of
action - two cornerstones in libertarian thought.
With the creation of the Coordination Group (SOG) the building of the
democratic structures of the new youth movement had started. In 1995 the yearly
Landsmöte (the Congress) passed a proposition to start a internal bulletin
called Storm (named after the official magazine of "classic" SUF).
Another very important thing was the favorable vote to start a radical
youth-magazine - Direkt Aktion. It's editorial collective is seated in
Stockholm. Through the years you have been able to read interesting reports on
class struggle in Sweden and outside of it, news on topicalities, revealing
articles on for example the swedish christian right, interviews with well-known
bands such as bob hund and sharp chronicals directed against centralism and
authoritarian thought. 1998 saw the creation of the International Committee to
facilitate the contacts with growing foreign libertarian socialist and
progressive movements. The same year the Propagandakommittee came into
existence, with aims to supply the federation with agitational materials.
The early years were characterized by the activities of the very violent and
criminal extreme right-wing groups like VAM (White Aryan Resistance). Of course
the struggle against the fascist movement was high priority for SUF, and it's
strength was present in the demonstrations, informational campaigns, mass
militancy and courage. Campaigns against anti-abortionists within the
ultraconservative christian movement were executed. Discussions on gender roles
and power were loudly held. Debate and actions against the sexism present in a
country often misdirectedly named as "the most equal place on earth"
helped bringing in feminism as a serious force in the eyes of the public. In
ever growing numbers you could now see red and black flags and banners with
texts such as "facklig kamp utan pamp" (union struggle without bigwigs)
on the streets on mayday. The students in many towns organized themselves into
schoolgroups and student syndicates, and SUF played a part in the organizing of
the many student strikes of the late 90's. The federation became known as one of
the fastest growing political youth organisations.
Under the slogan "you can't vote Wallenberg away" (Wallenberg is
one of the capitalist families which for decades have controlled a large part of
the swedish corporations) the youth-syndicalists went out to schools and streets
to point out that even if there are many choices on the ballot, the only real
alternative is not printed there - namely the grassroots union struggle. Racists
in suits and ties were dreaming of the successes in the local elections and the
riksdagen (swedish parliament) that for example Jean-Marie le Pen of french
Front National (which gave funding to the "Sverigedemokraterna"). But
wherever they showed up the youth-syndicalists were there with fliers, in which
they revealed their connections to the nazi-movement and showed the strength of
the concept of international solidarity. Syndicalism is and will stay one of the
primary enemies of the authoritarian ideologies. At the same time many clubs
around Sweden spoke out about the danger of erecting a Fort Europe through
accepting things like the Schengen-agreement, which Sweden became a part of in
1998.
During early 1999 SAC and SUF cooperated in the campaign for the Euromarches
in Köln, Germany. Employment agencies were occupied to protest the unrealistic
economic policys of the government. In the end 35 000 people participated in the
protest outside of the luxury hotel of the leaders of the European Union and the
G8-countries. This was half a year before the movement for globalization for the
first time seriously gained the attention of the general public when it
blockaded the WTO meeting in Seattle in december. Three years later, thanks to
industrious grassroots work a total of over 40 000 persons took part in three
wholly peaceful demonstrations in Gothenburg, which hosted the EU-top meeting.
Examples of demands from the people were amongst others: "The right to
solidarity strikes across borders", "Stop the attacks on the
unemployed - no to forced labor without real pay" and "A radical
shortening of working hours with the same pay." A international meeting of
young European syndicalists was also held there, arranged by SUF Gothenburg.
SUF has been able to focus more and more on the basic economic struggle for
bread and butter and a more free society. Educational courses on practical union
struggle directed towards high school-students on their way out into a life of
work, informational activities on your right on the summer-job and direct
actions like the very successful autoreduction campaign in the Stockholm subway,
planka.nu är examples of these kind of activities. The generation of young
syndicalists who laid the groundwork of the federation is now active inside the
SAC and continues to supply valuable energy, knowledge and fighting spirit,
revitalizing the union struggle.
Of course the more national campaigns have been complemented by local grass
roots work as selling of newspapers, info-tabling, talks, study circles,
manifestations and creative actions. Today SUF exists in about 40 cities, from
Luleå in the north to Malmö in the south and represents about 500 youths. The
movement continues to grow, la lucha continua!