About
From the statuses:
”Röda Lanternan is a socialistic non-profit association close to Vänsterpartiet. The purpose of the association is to act for a Swedish merchant fleet under Swedish flag and publicly owned shipping, now and in the future.
Röda Lanternan shall work for employees´ increased influence, push the struggle in the seafarer´s unions and through especially Vänsterpartiet pursue the associan´s policies in districts, regions and the Swedish Parliament.
Extra-parliamentary the association´s opinions shall be made aware and driven through the mass media and demonstrations. On streets, decks, docks and squares Röda Lanternan will stand for international solidarity and against international ship registries and flags of convenience. The associaton has to fight all the injustices and acts that threatens seafarers home and overseas, today and tomorrow.”
Röda Lanternan (The Red Lantern) has ever since its constitution in 1980 been a freestanding association with strong bonds to Vänsterpartiet (The Swedish Left Party). The ties to Vänsterpartiet are founded partly on an ideological consensus, but probably primarily on the fact that Vänsterpartiet is the party who´s policy gives the best prerequisites for a strong Swedish merchant fleet with equal and good terms for the employees. You don´t have to be an active seafarer or a member of Vänsterpartiet to join Röda Lanternan, but you have to share our purpose described in the statuses above.
There are many reasons to why the Swedish flag is important on Swedish ships. Whithout these ships and work for Swedish sailors there´s a risk that we lose competence and possibilities for education and recruitment within the trade and authorities. In an import and export dependent country like Sweden surrounded by water an own shipping industry is also crucial when it comes to our preparedness and independency in a crisis.
Sweden has good prerequisites to be a leading country regarding non-polluting vessels, safety and well-trained crews. That´s why Röda Lanternan welcomes collaboration solutions between the State and the industry, and argues in favour of investments in infrastructure for coastal traffic and inland waterways. This would enable more transports that are less strainful for the invironment and climate than those made on land or in air, create jobs in both private and public sectors and also conduce to that Sweden keeps its voice in international maritime contexts.
That Röda Lanternan calls for a Swedish merchant fleet with Swedish conventions is no opposition to solidarity between seafarers or other groups. By supporting unions and fraternal organizations in other countries we help each other. Our association has raised funds for British striking miners and today we support Ship to Gaza.
Röda Lanternan opposes public procurements of our common welfare and transports. The experiences are too often insecure employment, deterioration in quality and that tax revenues ends up as profit in private companies and venture capitalists instead of being of advantage to society. We clearly aim to keep our publicly owned shipping companies in the people´s possession and not sell it out.
May 1 is of course our greatest holiday, and we celebrate the International Workers´ Day by marching together with Vänsterpartiet and thousands of demonstrators. Besides our annual meeting in the beginning of the year we also see each other for companionable discussion-, culture- and social gatherings. Welcome!
For more information and membership: [email protected]