Banner of Kvinnornas förbund (the Womens' Union), from the collections at Swedish Labour Movement Archives and Library (ARAB)
Description
It was difficult, sometimes impossible, for women to raise issues within the male-dominated organisations of the early labour movement. For example, Skrädderiarbetareförbundet (the Tailors' Union) was not interested in organising female workers at the time, so a large proportion of the country's seamstresses remained unorganised. During the 1890s, women therefore began to organise themselves into their own political organisations and trade unions.
In 1897, a committee for female agitation was formed within Stockholms Almänna kvinnoklubb (the Stockholm General Women's Club). It worked to increase trade union awareness among women. Anna Sterky was the driving force behind the committee, and when it was reorganised into Kvinnornas fackförneing (the Women's Trade Union) in 1902, she became its first chairperson.
The organisation was initially an association of mainly seamstresses. They worked to promote trade union issues for female workers. The organisation joined LO (the Swedish Trade Union Confederation) in 1904 and in the same year the first issue of their newspaper Morgonbris was published. In 1905, the organisation took the initiative to start the cooperative sewing factory Linnéa in Stockholm. And in 1906, an agitator, Signe Vessman, was hired to work full-time on the organisation's issues.
But when the organisation unionised domestic workers in 1908, it violated the so-called industrial union principle within LO. This meant that a union should organise workers within a single industry or occupational area. In addition, Skrädderiarbetareförbundet (the Tailors' Union) had now begun accepting seamstresses as members, which meant the union's membership base was shrinking. In 1909, the organisation therefore ceased to exist and its members transferred to the Tailors' Union. Socialdemokratiska kvinnoförbundet (the Social Democratic Women's organsiation) took over Morgonbris.
Organisational history
1902 – the organisation was formed
1904 – joined LO (the Swedish Trade Union Confederation)
1909 – the union was dissolved, the members joined the Skrädderiarbetareförbundet (the Tailors' Union)
