Starting Friday, dockworkers in all Swedish ports will refuse to offload Teslas, cleaning crews will no longer clean showrooms, and mechanics won’t fix charging points as the labor dispute rages on.

Swedish workers are uniting against Tesla. From tomorrow, cleaners will stop cleaning Tesla showrooms, electricians won’t fix the company’s charging points, and dockworkers will refuse to unload Tesla cargo at all Swedish ports. What started as a strike by Tesla mechanics is spreading, in something Swedish unions describe as an existential battle between Elon Musk’s carmaker and the conventions they say make the country’s labor market fair and efficient.

The standoff in Sweden is the biggest union action the company has faced anywhere in the world. Sweden doesn’t have laws that set working conditions, such as a minimum wage. Instead these rules are dictated by collective agreements, a type of contract that defines the benefits employees are entitled to, such as wages and working hours. For five years, industrial workers’ union IF Metall, which represents Tesla mechanics, has been trying to persuade the company to sign a collective agreement. When Tesla refused, the mechanics decided to strike at the end of October. Then they asked fellow Swedish unions to join them.

“Collective agreements form the backbone of the Swedish labor market model,” says Mikael Pettersson, head of negotiations at the electricians’ union, which plans to join the blockade tomorrow. “Fighting for the Swedish model becomes even more crucial when it involves such a large company as Tesla.”

  • gajustempus@feddit.deEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    a TINY little fact check would be advisable here. Because: Tesla mechanics did NOT start a strike. It was announced by a lobby group, but none of them went to strike, as they claimed they were content with their conditions, got paid decently and therefore saw no reason to go on strike.

    The much I welcome workers fighting for their rights, the current situation looks a LOT like a union trying to mobilize as many of their members as possible to prove they’re relevant - by choosing a high profile target as victim. Actions like these don’t benefit the workers at all. It only strengthens the union and those in charge in it. In the end, it’ll be the workers who will have to suffer, as Tesla will probably switch to similar anti-worker-measures like many other car manufacturers already use them already

    • lemmyvore@feddit.nlEnglish
      43·
      1 year ago

      This is completely wrong and a complete misinterpretation of the situation. Tesla is breaking the law in Sweden by not having a group contact with the workers, and a strike is precisely what the law allows as remedy.

      Tesla was not picked on because they’re high profile, they were chosen because they’re one of the few companies clueless enough to open a factory in Sweden without a group contract.

      The only amazing thing is how the hell did they manage to function for five years without it.

      • GissaMittJobb@lemmy.mlEnglish
        19·
        1 year ago

        Minor caveat - Tesla doesn’t have a factory in Sweden, their presence is in the form of stores, mechanics and service staff for superchargers (and maybe something else I’m not aware of)

      • CAVOK@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8·
        1 year ago

        Not a fan of Tesla, but they’re not breaking any laws here.

        There is an agreement between the employer organisation and the unions on how to deal with things in order to keep the government out of it. It’s called “The Swedish model”. This is what Tesla doesn’t want to sign up to.

        IF Metall tried to get Tesla to the table to talk for five years, unsuccessfully, so here we are. Nobody wants the strike, but what can you do?

        • mindlight@lemm.eeEnglish
          14·
          1 year ago

          Just adding in: The Swedish modell is the reason there is no minimum wage in Sweden. It’s expected that the employer and employee organisations negotiate the terms.

          An employer who tries to avoid such negotiations is in fact getting unfair competitive advantage.

          This is not just about people getting a fair wage. It’s about not letting Tesla cheat.

        • lemmyvore@feddit.nlEnglish
          5·
          1 year ago

          True, I should have said that it breaks established procedure rather than the law. But they’re walking on thin ice because union collusion as a response is legal.

          I still can’t wrap my head around the fact they walked in knowing this will happen, and I wonder what their long term plan was.

          May I ask, are the jobs at Tesla particularly interesting or well-paid? Why don’t the people simply walk away from an employer who won’t sign a collective agreement? Is it a cultural thing to strike rather than walk?

        • 0x815@feddit.deEnglish
          24·
          1 year ago

          @gajustempus, someone already noted it, but as you appear to insist:

          Tesla Club Sweden reported

          Yeah, suck on it 😅

    • GissaMittJobb@lemmy.mlEnglish
      27·
      1 year ago

      This is not true. IF Metall, the union representing the mechanics, have been trying to negotiate with Tesla for many years on behalf of their members. Unions don’t go on strike for members that are not interested in getting a deal.

      The reason this conflict has escalated is because of Tesla being unwilling to come to the negotiating table, and as such, other unions are arranging sympathy strikes as a measure to have Tesla come to the table.