This week, the Port Workers' Union in Helsingborg had a vote among its 100 members on a blockade against ships connected to Russia.

The votes are now counted and the majority voted yes.

- It was an overwhelming majority and that is quite understandable.

It is actually about the war and what position we should have for it, says Rolf Lycktoft, chairman of the local dockworkers' union.

"Trying to find solutions"

This affects a wholesale company in Helsingborg that buys organic bananas.

The ships leave Ecuador, unload in Helsingborg and then go on to St. Petersburg, something that HD was the first to report.

- We just got the dock workers' message.

We have been trying to find solutions for several weeks but have to analyze this, says Claes Henriksson, communications manager at Total Produce Nordic, which owns the wholesale company Interbanan.

According to HD, the company imports a third of all bananas in Sweden and every week 40 containers of bananas are unloaded in the port.

This happened last Friday morning.

- It is clear that there is a risk of a shortage of organic bananas, but we need to analyze it and see what alternatives there are.

It is tough but we have to continue the work, says Claes Henriksson.

Hear the Swedish Port Workers' Union's vice chairman about the blockade:

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- We do this to support our colleagues in the Ukrainian ports and the civilian population in the country, says Erik Helgeson at the Port Workers' Union.

Photo: SVT archive

New load expected next week

The dockworkers' union's blockade begins on Monday, March 28, but it is still unclear whether these ships will be able to unload containers in Helsingborg next week or not.

Some dock workers are affiliated with the Swedish Transporters' Association and no decision on a blockade has been made yet.

- The discussion has been up at our board meeting and annual meeting, and they listened to what the dock workers felt.

We will further analyze what a blockade would possibly lead to and bring it up at the board meeting next week, says Sirin Celik, press spokesperson for the Transport Workers' Union.

- Our general attitude is that we would like to see guidelines from the EU and the government, but we are also prepared to take the lead.