Finland's Trade Union Crisis:
FAGERHOLM, KARL AUGUST
FINLAND'S TRADE UNION CRISIS Two rival trade union systems, one Social Democratic, the other Communist, have jeopardized Finland's sensitive economic and political balance By Karl August...
...The former coalition Government of Agrarians and Social Democrats, which governed almost continuously from 1937, was a more reasonable and representative arrangement, but the Social Democrats have not yet been able to rebuild this coalition...
...It was caused by the dis-sidence of the "Simonites," named after their leader, Aarre Simonen, who wants to establish an opposition group more "radical" than the Social Democrats, between the Communists and the SDP...
...After the election, 11 Social Democrats joined the dissidents, giving the Social Democrats their present 37 seats and the Simonites their present 14...
...During the election of 1958, the Social Democrats won 48 seats in Parliament, the Simonites three...
...It is probable that he will be succeeded by Rantanen...
...Then SAK President Reino Heino-nen, elected 15 months ago as a neutral leader to maintain balance between the left-wing and the Social Democratic groups, resigned in protest against Communist influence...
...Obviously, the split in the Social Democratic party has made its position more difficult...
...The Communists will now have an official union apparatus of their own, considerably strengthening their political position, and every industry will have two trade unions, which is almost certain to create labor KARL AUGUST FAGERHOLM has for many years been leader of Finland's Social Democrats...
...The split in the Social Democratic , party may be equally dangerous for Finland...
...trouble, jeopardize Finland's highly sensitive economic balance and perhaps lead to grave political consequences...
...Since 1947, he has five times served as Prime Minister...
...The basic factors of the present situation are: (1) the resignation of Social Democratic groups from the central trade union organization (SAK), and (2) a split in the Social Democratic party (SDP...
...In an election, it seems evident that the Social Democrats would increase their representation in Parliament and that the Simonites would lose several seats...
...I feel, however, that the present Government will not be able to rule alone until the summer of 1962 when new elections are due...
...It should be noted that the Finnish Social Democratic party accepts the program revisions recently made by the Socialist parties of Sweden, West Germany and Austria...
...And before that some kind of temporary solution to Finland's problems must be found...
...The solution to the present political crisis in Finland is not clear...
...And in the northern areas the Communists, whose efforts have always been concentrated on the working class, have recently gained some support among the small farmers...
...Furthermore, it is difficult to determine what percentage of the electorate supports the Simonites...
...The Communists will take advantage of the trade union conflict...
...Since January 1959, Finland has been governed by an Agrarian minority Government, which has the support of little more than one-fourth of Parliament...
...They are stronger in Finland than in the other Scandinavian countries partly because the Russian Revolution influenced a good many Finnish trade unionists, who visited the Soviet Union in the '20s and returned to Finland as confirmed Communists, and because Finland is somewhat behind the other Scandinavian countries in economic development...
...Thus it is now likely that Finland will have two rival trade union systems, one run by the extreme left and the Communists and the other by the Social Democratic party...
...We believe that these parties have taken constructive steps and although we have not changed our own program as drastically as they have, our views on Marxism are similar to theirs...
...SAK started to split into two separate groups several months ago when the organization's extreme left wing, led by Vihtori Rantanen, joined the Communists in refusing membership to four Social Democratic groups and forced the resignation of several Social Democratic member groups...
...It has, however, asked for dissolution of Parliament, but the President of the Republic has not been willing to call for new elections...
...FINLAND'S TRADE UNION CRISIS Two rival trade union systems, one Social Democratic, the other Communist, have jeopardized Finland's sensitive economic and political balance By Karl August Fagerholm HELSINKI THE PRESENT CRISIS in Finland's labor movement poses delicate questions for the political and economic life of Finland as well as for the trade union movement itself...
...But this is clearly unrealistic: There is no room in Finland for a party which wants to take this position, for a split of this nature can benefit only the Communists and the Liberal and Conservative parties...
Vol. 43 • August 1960 • No. 32
