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.”
This is what solidarity looks like.
‘The most important word in the language of the working class is “solidarity.”’
-Harry BridgesThat’s why middleclass term was invented. To break solidarity
Man, nice to see solidarity in action. It’s a rare thing in North America.
Isn’t action like this a crime in the US? I thought I remembered reading that somewhere.
Yeah. Solidarity strikes are specifically prohibited by The Taft-Hartley Act
“land of the free”
Yes, but sometimes the picket lines of other unions are “threats to health and safety”. Sorry boss, I felt unsafe getting to the job site. Especially if you do it as a group, you have the right to concerted activity to protect your health and safety.
Striking? No?
Solidarity strikes are specifically prohibited by The Taft-Hartley Act.
Thanks
The beauty is, that this is in fact a free market and total freedom.
No no no but not like that
Tesla has vastly underestimated Swedish law
Not even law for the most part, mostly solidarity. Love being swedish
Culture moreso
And I am here for it.
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
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.
Source: Tesla Club Sweden
Lmfao
Citation needed
That’s a Tesla Shill Blog. Anything reliable?
with that evidence present, I demand deletion of the downvotes
I. DECLARE. BANKRUPTCY.!
So it’s the workers fault? Fuck off
