This study examines two trade unions at Skoghall, Skoghalls LS of SAC and the Swedish Paper unions division 36 at Skoghallverken.

The purpose of this study is to get a knowledge about what kind of methods that Skoghalls LS of SAC used to get better working conditions and living conditions for the worker at Skoghallsverken and compare them to the methods that division 36 of the Swedish Paperworkersunion at Skoghallsverken used to create better living conditions and working conditions.

The question that I asked in the study is:

What kind of working methods did Skoghalls LS of SAC and division 36 of the Swedish Paperworkingunion of improve the working and living conditions of the workers at Skoghallsverken?

What kinds of conflicts were common at Skoghallsverken between 1920-1928?

To be able to do the study I read meeting minutes from Skogshalls LS members meetings between 1919 and 1928 and meeting minutes from division 36 of the Swedish Paperworkersunions membersmettings between 1921 and 1926. And the examination was done at Arkivcentrum Värmland where they helped me to get the sources that I needed to do the study.

One of the results that examine shows is that Skoghalls LS of SAC helped workers in their daily lives for i.e. when they had economic troubles. Skoghalls LS probably used the Social security system in Sweden where not created in the 1920: s which is the time that is examined in this study.

Division 36 on the other hand had worked in similar way as Skoghalls LS with workers who were in need, i.e. they helped them with money if they had economic problems and raised money to them. But in other conflicts Division 36 took a lot more careful stance against the director’s board at Skoghallsverken

i.e. when they gave notice about strike under the Christmas holiday along time before the actual dates. The defensive approach that division 36 used is probably rooted in LO: s reformistic ideas and a will to create consensus between the workers and the directors of the industry.

The conclusions that can be drawn from the result are these:

Skoghalls where defensive trade union and Skoghallsverken where calm workplace what where free from big conflicts between unions and the employers. The conflicts that occurred in the 1920: s where about social issues i.e. poor housing standards for the employees at Skoghallsverken and indignation about the 8 hours working day. But Skoghalls LS and Skoghall 36 also dealt with issues where families had lost their incomes because the father in the family had died and it was fathers who get the income to their families when they where working. Skoghalls LS and Skoghall 36 where using very similar working methods to improve the workers livingenviroment and workingingenviroment and Skoghalls LS of SAC where not as radical as said they would be.