Norwegian Milk Strike Begins (1941)

Mon Sep 08, 1941

Image: Executed union leaders Viggo Hansteen (left) and Rolf Wickstrøm (right)

On this day in 1941, a spontaneous, anti-fascist general strike broke out in Norway, initially from shipyard workers in protest of milk rationing. Involving ~30,000 workers, Nazis declared martial law, arresting and executing its leaders.

The uprising, known as the Norwegian Milk Strike, began at the shipyard Akers mekaniske verksted and the industry site Christiania Spigerverk.

Following the loss of milk rations, protests quickly spread to other companies. By the following day between 20,000 - 30,000 workers from multiple industries were on strike.

On September 10th, the would-be second day of a general strike, the German Reichskommissar Josef Terboven declared martial law in Oslo and the neighboring municipality Aker and executed two union leaders, Viggo Hansteen (shown left) and Rolf Wickstrøm (shown right).

Three others, Ludvik Buland, Harry Vestli and Josef Larsson were also sentenced to death, but their convictions were changed to imprisonment for life in German jails. According to one eye-witness account, nearly three hundred were arrested.

After the milk strike, the Norwegian Confederation of Unions underwent "Nazification", with members of the Fascist party "Nasjonal Samling" installed as leaders. The Nazification also applied to other parts of a civil society - the Oslo police chief, the future Prime Minister, and many university staff were also arrested in the aftermath of the strike.

The executions of Hansteen and Wickstrøm became lasting symbols of the Norwegian anti-fascist resistance.

• Date: 1941-09-08
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.workersliberty.org.
• Tags: #Labor, #GeneralStrikes, #Fascism, #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org