Tesla and Sweden at the Breaking Point

After two weeks of particularly sterile exchanges between the union and Tesla Sweden management, negotiations are at a dead end.

The union IF Metall seems determined to continue its social movement until Tesla Sweden agrees to establish a collective agreement for its employees, but Tesla Sweden refuses to sign such an agreement. Deadlock, do you think? According to mediator Kurt Eriksson, who contacted Tesla’s legal representative, Elon Musk simply ordered the Swedish branch not to sign a collective agreement with IF Metall.

Tesla Sweden and IF Metall presented their grievances on November 6, and since then, it’s been deadlocked, a dead-end. Eriksson believes there is no reason to schedule another meeting, as Tesla Sweden has no freedom to act since it is not authorized to sign a collective agreement.

Initially a small spark, the movement took on a completely different dimension last week when the few dissenters were joined by dock workers at Swedish ports in Malmö, Södertälje, Gothenburg, and Trelleborg, who are no longer unloading cars from the Californian manufacturer and are thereby preventing customers from receiving their valuable vehicles. Subsequently, electricians announced they would stop maintaining the country’s 250 charging stations, and an aluminum supplier announced it would terminate its contract with the manufacturer. Even postal workers have joined the protest, suspending their rounds at Tesla offices!

While IF Metall claims to be prepared for a “very long conflict,” this apparent bad will from Elon Musk is reportedly fueling the discontent of a population that is actually at the forefront of the electric transition. Between the discovery of European-style unionism and the threats looming over its American operations, winter looks set to be tough for Tesla.