The Severnivaraje Forestry Cooperative (SFC) is the largest trade union and industrial cooperative in District IV (Severnivaraje). Representing over 40,000 loggers, mill workers, and rangers, it controls the vast timber resources of the northern Kresimirian mountains.
While officially an economic organization, the SFC is politically affiliated with Northern Power. It functions as the party’s financial engine and organizational backbone. In the political slang of Sinj, the SFC is often referred to as “The Green Chest,” referencing the massive, opaque donations it funnels into the campaigns of the Iric family.
The Cooperative maintains a fierce rivalry with the mining giant SeverMin, viewing the extractive industry as a threat to the forests that sustain its members’ livelihoods.
History
Foundation and the Iric Patronage (1923–1963)
The Cooperative was founded in 1923, shortly after the formation of the Republic. Unlike the radical miners’ unions formed by Igor Marlek, which were antagonistic toward landowners, the forestry workers organized under the patronage of Antonio Iric and the Bistrice People’s Party (BPP).
The Iric family, who owned vast tracts of woodland, encouraged the formation of the Cooperative to protect local timber prices from predatory speculation by southern merchants. This early alliance cemented the bond between the rural gentry and the forestry workers.
The Merger and Radicalization (1963–2000)
Following the 1963 merger of the BPP and Northern Power, the SFC was integrated into the new socialist coalition. Under the leadership of Pavel Iric, the Cooperative became a political machine. It used its dues to fund the expansion of the University of Pulma and to organize strikes against federal encroachment.
In the 1990s, the SFC faced an existential threat from SeverMin, which began strip-mining protected woodlands. This radicalized the union, moving it from agrarian conservatism to militant environmentalism.
Operations
The “Closed Woods”
The SFC operates a “Closed Shop” system. It is virtually impossible to work in the timber industry in District IV without being a member of the Cooperative. This monopoly allows the SFC to set wage floors significantly higher than the national minimum.
The Green Chest
The SFC takes a percentage of every timber sale in the district. A significant portion of this revenue is directed into the Northern Development Fund, a legal entity that serves as the primary donor to Northern Power. This financial independence allows the party to refuse corporate donations from Sinj-based conglomerates.
Political Influence
The “Logjam”
The SFC’s most powerful weapon is the “Logjam”—a general strike that halts the flow of timber to the south. Since Kresimiria’s construction industry relies on northern wood, a Logjam can paralyze the economy.
- 2006 Action: The SFC threatened a Logjam to protest the Import Tariff Revision Act, forcing the government to include subsidies for domestic timber.
- 2018 Protests: During the Bistrica Water Protests, the SFC used heavy logging trucks to physically blockade the roads leading to SeverMin’s headquarters, preventing the Civil Order Force from bringing in reinforcements.
Relations with Industry
SeverMin
The relationship is hostile. The SFC views mining as a destructive industry that poisons the soil and kills trees. The two organizations frequently clash over land use rights in the Council for Growth.
Maj Holdings
The relationship is transactional but tense. Maj Holdings (via Maj Logistics) is the primary buyer and transporter of SFC timber.
- Conflict: Bran Maj frequently complains about the “extortionate” prices set by the Cooperative.
- Dependency: However, Maj cannot bypass the SFC, as the Cooperative controls the harvest. This mutual dependency creates an uneasy truce where commerce continues despite political enmity.
Controversies
Corruption Allegations
The Civic Renewal Front (CRF) frequently accuses the SFC leadership of corruption. Reports in the Kresimirian Herald allege that union dues are used to maintain the private estates of the Iric family, though no legal charges have ever stuck due to the complexity of the Cooperative’s financial structure.
Environmental Hypocrisy
While the SFC campaigns against mining pollution, environmental purists point out that the Cooperative is still an extractive industry. Clear-cutting in the remote Severni valleys has caused soil erosion, a fact often glossed over by Syv Iric’s “Eco-Socialist” platform.