The organisation's first union course at Brunnsvik in 1940. (ARAB collection).
Description
In the late 19th century, attempts were made to form trade unions for agricultural workers in several parts of Sweden. The agitator Fredrik Thorsson was particularly active in this regard in the Ystad area. Some agricultural workers also organised themselves in Grov- och fabriksarbetareförbundet (the Union of Manual and Factory Workers). During the first decade of the 20th century, regional agricultural workers' unions were formed in several places in Sweden. Skånes Lantarbetareförbund (the Skåne Agricultural Workers' Union) was formed in 1904, Norrland's in 1906, and so on.
Svenska Lantarbetareförbundet (the Swedish Agricultural Workers' Union) was formed in 1908 in Mjölby and joined LO (the Swedish Trade Union Confederation) in 1909. The young organisation was hit hard by the 1909 general strike, and in 1911, it was expelled from the LO for non-payment. The union did not rejoin LO until 1930.
Labour market conflicts marked the entire 1920s. The most famous is the Möre conflict, in which the organisation demanded negotiations over wages and working conditions with the large landowning farmers in the Möre district outside Kalmar. After three years of strikes, the landowners accepted the workers' right to negotiate and sat down at the negotiating table. The conflict became nationally known and symbolic for the labour movement because it highlighted the miserable and almost feudal conditions that were still a reality in rural areas.
In 1945, the organisation achieved its most significant victory when “statarsystemet”, the Swedish system of contract labour in which workers were paid in kind rather than regular wages, was abolished. The proportion of farm labourers had declined throughout the 1930s, but from 1945 onwards, all farm workers were to receive cash compensation for their work.
The organisation has undergone several reorganisations. During the 1950s and 1960s, membership declined, and several branches around the country were. In 1986, the number of branches was drastically reduced. On 1 January 2002, the organisation ceased to exist and merged with Svenska Kommunalarbetareförbundet (the Swedish Municipal Workers' Union).
Organisational history
1908 - The organisation is formed
2002 - The organisation merges with Svenska Kommunalarbetareförbundet (the Swedish Municipal Workers' Union).
