Historedia
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Founding of the Swedish railway workers' union

When
1899
Where
Sweden
Episodes
2

The Swedish Railway Employees' Union (SJMF) was established in 1899 as the first trade union for railway workers in Sweden. Founded by private railway workers, it expanded through mergers with various state railway associations. The union affiliated with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation in 1922 and eventually merged into the Swedish National Union of State Employees in 1970.

Episodes

  1. 12 May 1899 · SwedenFounding of the Union

    The SJMF was founded on 12 May 1899 by 400 workers on private railways, establishing the first trade union for railway employees in Sweden.

  2. 1970 · SwedenMerger into State Employees Union

    In 1970, the SJMF merged with seven other unions to form the Swedish National Union of State Employees, ending its independent operation.

Background and detail

Background. The Swedish Railway Employees' Union (SJMF) was a trade union representing workers in the railway industry in Sweden. It was founded on 12 May 1899 by 400 workers on private railways. The union later merged with seven other unions in 1970 to form the Swedish National Union of State Employees.

Expansion and Affiliation. The union expanded significantly in the early 20th century, joining with various railway worker associations between 1903 and 1906. By 1907, it had 27,694 members, mostly working for state railways. In 1922, the SJMF affiliated with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, solidifying its position within the broader labor movement.

Merger. The union experienced fluctuations in membership, peaking at 69,090 in 1952 before declining to 43,981 by 1969. In 1970, the SJMF merged with seven other unions to form the Swedish National Union of State Employees, marking the end of its independent existence as a railway-specific union.

Sources

  1. Swedish Railway Employees' Union Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-17

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.