gupea_2077_29098_3

Even though labour demand exceeded labour supply after the war, Sweden implemented
a restrictive immigration policy after 1945. Only Nordic citizens had
free access to the Swedish labour market. Because of the labour shortage and the
restrictive legislation, employers recruited foreign labour on their own after the war.
LO reacted immediately and worked to stop this practice. SAF suggested that the
employers and LO should import foreign-born workers together with the state, but
LO said no to that. However, trade unions accepted labour import when the SAP
government promised that LO would have full control over the recruitment. Thus,
Sweden imported foreign labour from the European continent between 1947 and
1955. As opposed to Rudolf Tempsch’s claim that the degree of consensus between
SAF and LO was high and that both parts were rather satisfied with the labour
imports, this study shows that LO restricted the imports and thereby maintained
the unfulfilled demand for workers. According to SAF, this was made possible by
LO’s close relations to the SAP government and their influence over AMS. Joachim
Nelhans claims that the trade unions did not have much power over the recruitment
of foreign labour in the 1950s but, according to the employers, approval from LO
was a prerequisite for labour imports.
In the mid 1950s the labour market opened up when the Nordic countries became
a common labour market. Sweden also opened up for large-scale non-Nordic labour
immigration in 1954. Workers from Southern and South-eastern Europe came to
Sweden on tourist visas. They could apply for a work permit after arrival. Less than
5 percent of the work permit applications were denied. LO did not protest against
the creation of a common Nordic labour market because the Swedish labour market
had been accessible for Nordic citizens since the 1940s. The trade unions were more
restrictive against non-Nordic immigrants and demanded that LO should maintain
the right to deny work permits if found necessary. SAF applauded the creation of a
common Nordic labour market. The employers protested against LO’s power over
non-Nordic citizens applications for work permits since the trade unions could thereby
restrict the inflow of foreign labour.
As a result of trade union protests against the rather liberal immigration policy
labour immigration became restricted in the mid 1960s. The new regulations implemented
in 1966 made it possible for LO to control all non-Nordic immigration. Zeki
Yalcin claims mistakenly that SAF accepted the new regulations. SAF protested in
fact against the new regulations and demanded that Sweden should stick to a liberal
immigration policy. The Social Democratic government did not pay attention to
these protests.
As part of the new regulations Sweden once again started importing labour, mainly
as a strategy to replace spontaneous immigration. LO forced all recruited foreign
workers to join the trade unions. Zeki Yalcin’s and Johan Svanberg’s claim that SAF
agreed to this is incorrect, since the employers refused to recognise forced organisation
among workers.
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