The public transit company MTR is suing Swedish train conductors for going on strike. Personally, as well as fining their union. Y’know, not massive, mind-boggling sums. Just punitive ones, for daring to make demands on their monopolizing employer.
An employer, mind you, which is fundamentally owned by the Communist political rule in Hong Kong.
Before colour commentary, snide observation, and wild speculation, let us roll out the facts:
As of yesterday morning (Monday 17/4-2023), the train conductors in Stockholm went on strike, affecting as much as 80% of all conductors in the Stockholm metropolitan area. Reason cited being the downsizing of personnel working on the trains, where only one conductor operates and manages the whole transport, ferrying hundreds of people per train around the city. The conductors argue that it’s simply not a safe way to operate. The conductors claim they’ve complained about working conditions for two years, while employer and politicians ignore them. The conductor union did not organize the strike, which implies whachumacall a “wild strike”, without legal support.
The corporate operator of the train traffic in Stockholm is MTR Nordic, created in Sweden in 2009 following the public procurement of the service by MTR Corporation. MTR Corporation is reported to be owned to an extent of 75% by the Hong Kong communist authority. Who, as of today (Tuesday 18/4-2023) are suing both conductors and union for the disruption in services.
To be fair; the strike, being a “wild” one as they call it in the old music halls, isn’t technically legal, seeing as their union didn’t initiate it. Then again, MTR seems to hold the union itself responsible anyway, as the lawsuit is aimed at them as well as individual conductors. The fact that the company itself, which has a monopoly on train transit in the Stockholm metropolitan area, is owned by an authoritarian regime known for its draconian measures against dissent is only extra sauce on an already stinky sandwich.
In essence: A Chinese Communist Party corporation is threatening and punishing their Swedish employees, because the employees are claiming that the CCP company is running the Stockholm public transit system with a dangerous disregard for its passengers.
Which way was The Left, and which was The Right again? I mix them up…
/Sebastian Lindberg 18/4-2023
WastedWords 