Niilo Frans Wälläri (6 July 1897 – 25 August 1967) was a Finnish socialist,

syndicalist Syndicalism is a revolutionary current within the left-wing of the labor movement that seeks to unionize workers according to industry and advance their demands through strikes with the eventual goal of gaining control over the means of pr ...

politician. Wälläri led the Finnish Seamen's Union from 1938 until his death. In 1913 Wälläri left Finland to become seaman. In 1916, he settled in the United States and joined the Industrial Workers of the World. Because of his political activities, Wälläri was deported back to Finland in 1920. Wälläri became active in the underground Communist Party of Finland (SKP) and the public Socialist Workers' Party of Finland (SSTP). Wälläri was chairman of SSTP in 1922–1923 and he was jailed at the Tammisaari prison camp when the party was disbanded. In the late 1920s Wälläri became frustrated with communists. This eventually led to a split in 1929. Wälläri was one of the main organisers behind the short-lived

Left Group of Finnish Workers Left Group of Finnish Workers ( fi, Suomen työväen vasemmistoryhmä) was a socialist political party in Finland. The party was active in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The group was founded by activists who had previously cooperated with the Comm ...

. Wälläri joined the

Social Democratic Party of Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP, fi, Suomen sosialidemokraattinen puolue ; sv, Finlands socialdemokratiska parti), shortened to the Social Democrats ( fi, link=no, Sosiaalidemokraatit; sv, link=no, Socialdemokrater) and commonly kno ...

in 1935. Social Democratic Association of Transport Workers was his stronghold. The Soviet Union radioed anti-Wälläri propaganda during the Second World War. After the war Wälläri left SDP and joined the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Socialist Unity Party. As leader of the seamen's trade union, he constantly threatened to damage the government and economy with strikes in order to gain benefits for the seaman's trade union.

Sources

Wälläri, Niilo
in ''Biografiskt lexikon för Finland'' . 1897 births 1967 deaths People from Lieto People from Turku and Pori Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Communist Party of Finland politicians Socialist Workers Party of Finland politicians Left Group of Finnish Workers politicians Social Democratic Party of Finland politicians Socialist Unity Party (Finland) politicians Syndicalists Industrial Workers of the World members Finnish trade union leaders {{SocialDemocraticPartyFinland-politician-stub