Ett bruk i förfall : En studie av relationerna mellan Huseby bruk och dess lokala fackföreningar under nedgångsperioden 1947-1957

Sammanfattning:

Huseby bruk was a large isolated industry that bloomed during the 19th century and was located in the county of Småland, Sweden. It was a large industry focused on many different areas and in large it was self-sufficient. Like many other industries at the time Huseby bruk was lead by a patriarchal leader named Joseph Stephens who died in 1934. At this time many Swedish industries were in decline due to modernization and labour unions on the rise. The first local union on Huseby bruk officially started in 1947. After Joseph Stephens death the oldest daughter Florence Stephens took over the industry and lead it until 1957. The main focus of this study has been to look at the relations between the local labour unions and the managing directors during the period 1947-1957. Further the study has aimed to look at how conflicts between the unions and the managers were handled and if the unions were conscious of the downturn period that the industry was experiencing. Finally the study has looked at how the local labour unions interacted with other unions. The results of the study has shown that the patriarchal relations between worker and manager had ceased to exist. Instead the workers depended more upon the larger unions. The conflicts had an hierarchic order where the local union first tried to solve the conflict themselves before seeking help from larger unions. The local unions were conscious of the downturn period from which I have drawn the conclusion that the unions had a increased understanding for the conflicts they had with Huseby bruk.