In Sweden, a significant labor dispute continues as 70 car mechanics take a stand against one of the world's wealthiest companies, Tesla. This strike, now entering its second year, affects the US carmaker's ten service centers across Sweden, with little sign of resolution on the horizon.
Among the striking workers is Janis Kuzma, who has been on the Tesla picket line since October 2023. "It's a tough time," says the 39-year-old, as the harsh Swedish winter approaches, making conditions increasingly challenging. Each Monday, he stands outside a Tesla garage in Malmö alongside a colleague, supported by his union, IF Metall, which provides basic necessities like coffee, sandwiches, and accommodation in a mobile builder's van.
While they brave the cold, the Tesla workshop across the street remains busy, highlighting the ongoing operations of the company despite the strike.
The crux of this labor conflict touches on a fundamental aspect of Swedish industrial culture: the right of trade unions to negotiate wages and working conditions. This principle of collective agreements has been a cornerstone of industrial relations in Sweden for nearly a century. Currently, about 70% of Swedish workers are union members, and 90% are covered by collective agreements. Strikes are relatively rare in Sweden, with most parties preferring to negotiate openly and collaboratively.
However, Tesla has disrupted this norm. CEO Elon Musk has publicly expressed his opposition to unions, suggesting that they foster negativity within a company. “I just don't like anything which creates a kind of lords and peasants sort of thing,” he stated during a 2023 event in New York.
Tesla entered the Swedish market in 2014, and since then, IF Metall has sought to establish a collective agreement. Union president Marie Nilsson claims that Tesla has been unresponsive, leading them to initiate the strike on October 27, 2023. “Usually, it's enough to threaten a strike for companies to sign agreements, but not in this case,” she remarked.
Janis Kuzma, who began his tenure at Tesla in 2021, recounts experiences of inconsistent pay and conditions influenced by managerial decisions. He describes a performance review where his request for a raise was denied, while a colleague faced a similar fate due to alleged attitude issues.
Despite the strike, Tesla has replaced many of its striking workers. Initially, around 130 mechanics were employed, with only 70 currently participating in the strike. This replacement strategy has no precedent in Sweden since the 1930s. German Bender, a researcher at the think tank Arena Idé, notes that while this practice is not illegal, it defies established labor norms. “Tesla seems to embrace being a norm breaker,” he added.
The strike has garnered backing from various other unions. Dockworkers in neighboring Denmark, Norway, and Finland have refused to handle Tesla products, while waste collection has been halted from Tesla's facilities in Sweden. Additionally, new charging stations are not being connected to the grid, leaving some facilities, like one near Stockholm's Arlanda Airport, with idle chargers.
Despite these challenges, Tibor Blomhäll, president of the Tesla Club Sweden, insists that Tesla owners remain largely unaffected by the strike. “There are alternative charging stations nearby, and we can still purchase, service, and charge our vehicles,” he explained.
The ongoing labor dispute poses significant risks for both sides. IF Metall fears that conceding the principle of collective agreements could set a dangerous precedent, potentially undermining the strong support for Sweden's labor market model. On the other hand, Tesla may view yielding on this issue as a threat to its operations in other countries, such as the US and Germany, where unionization efforts are active.
Bender believes that Musk's reluctance to negotiate stems from a desire for autonomy, viewing the union's actions not as an invitation to dialogue but as an ultimatum against which he stands firm. Blomhäll echoes this sentiment, predicting that this conflict will endure much like the Korean War—a prolonged struggle with no immediate end in sight.
