Swedish Tesla workers go on strike
November 24, 2023 3:10 AM Subscribe
From the Guardian: In what has been portrayed as the largest fight in decades to save Sweden’s union model from global labour practices, the powerful trade union IF Metall has been leading a strike across eight Tesla workplaces in Sweden for five weeks. It is the first time workers for the US carmaker have gone on strike.
According to a Swedish news outlet on November 24, 2023 (Google translate): "Now that the Tesla strike has been going on for a month, the union is taking new measures to get the electric car giant to sign a collective agreement. Today IF Metall's blockade comes into effect, which will hit Tesla's giant factory outside Berlin, reports SR Ekot."
As noted by Wired, dockworkers in all Swedish ports are refusing to offload Teslas, cleaning crews are no longer cleaning showrooms, and mechanics refuse to fix charging points as the labor dispute rages on.
From euronews: Swedish postal workers have joined the ongoing strike against Tesla, sparked by the carmaker's refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement, leading to disruptions in deliveries and escalating tensions in the labour dispute.
Postal workers in Sweden have joined the strike against Tesla, as the US electric carmaker remains steadfast in its refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement on wages. The strike started at the end of October when 130 mechanics in 10 Tesla workshops across seven Swedish cities walked out. It has since extended its reach to various other workshops responsible for repairing Elon Musk's electric cars, leading to disruptions in the unloading of Tesla vehicles at ports.
The Service and Communications Employees' Union (Seko) declared on Monday its decision to halt the delivery and collection of mail and parcels to all Tesla sites in Sweden, including those serviced by the PostNord and CityMail groups.
Meanwhile, "shortly after the Tesla strike began, the Swedish global payment firm Klarna signed a collective agreement, averting a planned strike at its Stockholm headquarters," also according to the Guardian.
According to a Swedish news outlet on November 24, 2023 (Google translate): "Now that the Tesla strike has been going on for a month, the union is taking new measures to get the electric car giant to sign a collective agreement. Today IF Metall's blockade comes into effect, which will hit Tesla's giant factory outside Berlin, reports SR Ekot."
As noted by Wired, dockworkers in all Swedish ports are refusing to offload Teslas, cleaning crews are no longer cleaning showrooms, and mechanics refuse to fix charging points as the labor dispute rages on.
From euronews: Swedish postal workers have joined the ongoing strike against Tesla, sparked by the carmaker's refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement, leading to disruptions in deliveries and escalating tensions in the labour dispute.
Postal workers in Sweden have joined the strike against Tesla, as the US electric carmaker remains steadfast in its refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement on wages. The strike started at the end of October when 130 mechanics in 10 Tesla workshops across seven Swedish cities walked out. It has since extended its reach to various other workshops responsible for repairing Elon Musk's electric cars, leading to disruptions in the unloading of Tesla vehicles at ports.
The Service and Communications Employees' Union (Seko) declared on Monday its decision to halt the delivery and collection of mail and parcels to all Tesla sites in Sweden, including those serviced by the PostNord and CityMail groups.
Meanwhile, "shortly after the Tesla strike began, the Swedish global payment firm Klarna signed a collective agreement, averting a planned strike at its Stockholm headquarters," also according to the Guardian.
he'll never back down, he's incapable of't. hope the strikes spread through the whole eu and beyond.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:59 AM on November 24, 2023 [20 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:59 AM on November 24, 2023 [20 favorites]
Agreed, seanmpuckett! One Swedish business executive was quoted in the national news broadcast that Musk's position was surprising because usually having a labor agreement with a union was good for both the company and the workers. Which says something about the differences in culture. Union membership has gone down in Sweden, too, but not nearly as far down as in the US. IF Metall is fighting for its survival and I hope the workers win, and soon.
posted by Bella Donna at 5:09 AM on November 24, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 5:09 AM on November 24, 2023 [8 favorites]
It's probably nothing 44 billion dollars couldn't have fixed.
posted by pracowity at 5:20 AM on November 24, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 5:20 AM on November 24, 2023 [13 favorites]
I’m on mobile so I can’t make the link but even so: Watanabe Godzilla scene:
Let them fight.
…please god, can someone make this tool suffer? I am so very tired of him pseudo-winning (ie., not losing).
It must be possible that someone can beat him? Sooner, rather than endlessly later? Always tomorrow, always maybe?
posted by aramaic at 6:15 AM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
Let them fight.
…please god, can someone make this tool suffer? I am so very tired of him pseudo-winning (ie., not losing).
It must be possible that someone can beat him? Sooner, rather than endlessly later? Always tomorrow, always maybe?
posted by aramaic at 6:15 AM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
>Be interesting to see whether Mr Edgelord is going to stick to his guns
He bought and ruined twitter, at a [big enough to be noticeable to him] loss, just to spite his critics. I could easily see him give up the Swedish market just for the lolz or to teach them a lesson, even if it's a stupid idea. If such stunts eventually bankrupt him, all the better for the rest of us.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 7:15 AM on November 24, 2023 [11 favorites]
He bought and ruined twitter, at a [big enough to be noticeable to him] loss, just to spite his critics. I could easily see him give up the Swedish market just for the lolz or to teach them a lesson, even if it's a stupid idea. If such stunts eventually bankrupt him, all the better for the rest of us.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 7:15 AM on November 24, 2023 [11 favorites]
Dra åt helvete Tesla!
posted by fairmettle at 7:31 AM on November 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 7:31 AM on November 24, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's kinda nice having someone to hate besides the Angry Orange Man but I'd still trade it for a world without either of them. Go IF Metall!
posted by tommasz at 7:46 AM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by tommasz at 7:46 AM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
I could easily see him give up the Swedish market just for the lolz or to teach them a lesson, even if it's a stupid idea.
meme Professor Hulk: (spreads arms) I see this as an absolute win.
Tesla is hugely overvalued because a) effective first mover advantage, b) promise of autopilot/FSD, c) Phony Stark was previously seen as some sort of engineering genius.
They are absolutely coasting or going backwards compared to rivals (old models, production quality issues, Cybertruck), FSD was always a con-job (and autopilot kills people), and now we definitely know he's just a family-money Nazi who made some lucky bets, and is a net negative to every business he touches, especially the workers therein. Much of Musk's actual wealth is borrowing against his Tesla stock. Tesla stock dropping way down to a more realistic value might finally shut him up (not that giving up on Sweden would do that on it's own, but it's a start) Assuming defaulting on the loans the Saudis gave him to buy twitter doesn't catch up with him first.
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 7:46 AM on November 24, 2023 [12 favorites]
meme Professor Hulk: (spreads arms) I see this as an absolute win.
Tesla is hugely overvalued because a) effective first mover advantage, b) promise of autopilot/FSD, c) Phony Stark was previously seen as some sort of engineering genius.
They are absolutely coasting or going backwards compared to rivals (old models, production quality issues, Cybertruck), FSD was always a con-job (and autopilot kills people), and now we definitely know he's just a family-money Nazi who made some lucky bets, and is a net negative to every business he touches, especially the workers therein. Much of Musk's actual wealth is borrowing against his Tesla stock. Tesla stock dropping way down to a more realistic value might finally shut him up (not that giving up on Sweden would do that on it's own, but it's a start) Assuming defaulting on the loans the Saudis gave him to buy twitter doesn't catch up with him first.
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 7:46 AM on November 24, 2023 [12 favorites]
They aren't but even the hardest core fan boy is going to be upset if they had to ship their car off for warranty service. Paying independent shops would cost too much. So Tesla has company service centres located in Sweden and because Musk is a libertarian jack off he refuses to sign a collective agreement with the unionized workers at those service centres.
And now that the postal workers are involved new cars can't recieve plates which is going to put a crimp in sales I imagine.
posted by Mitheral at 9:12 AM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
And now that the postal workers are involved new cars can't recieve plates which is going to put a crimp in sales I imagine.
posted by Mitheral at 9:12 AM on November 24, 2023 [3 favorites]
Tesla's German production may be hit by Swedish union dispute
Tesla does not manufacture in Sweden. Its only European factory -- in Gruenheide outside of Berlin -- builds the Model Y.posted by achrise at 9:19 AM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
I hope he doesn't back down. I want to see him hawking back-alley electric RC cars just to make money to have a box to live in behind a Starbucks in Brownsville, TX.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:26 PM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:26 PM on November 24, 2023 [4 favorites]
he'll never back down, he's incapable of't.
The turkish gov't threatened to block Twitter in Turkey if Twitter didn't block opposition tweets in the lead-up to an election, and Mr. "Free speech is absolute" rolled over so fast that he generated electricity. Elon Musk is always ready to betray his supposed principles.
posted by fatbird at 5:16 PM on November 24, 2023 [9 favorites]
The turkish gov't threatened to block Twitter in Turkey if Twitter didn't block opposition tweets in the lead-up to an election, and Mr. "Free speech is absolute" rolled over so fast that he generated electricity. Elon Musk is always ready to betray his supposed principles.
posted by fatbird at 5:16 PM on November 24, 2023 [9 favorites]
Mod note: One removed; racist geographical stereotyping. Please see Guidelines and info on Microaggressions.
posted by taz (staff) at 10:33 PM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 10:33 PM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
I hope he doesn't back down. I want to see him hawking back-alley electric RC cars just to make money to have a box to live in behind a Starbucks in Brownsville, TX.
Your lips to god's ears.
It would be to everyone's benefit to draw this period of anti-union psychosis to a close.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:02 AM on November 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Your lips to god's ears.
It would be to everyone's benefit to draw this period of anti-union psychosis to a close.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:02 AM on November 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Elon Musk is always ready to betray his supposed principles.
You seem to have confused principles for marketing.
"Free speech is absolute" is marketing for the position that rich, white, males can say anything without consequence, including social.
Musk actually opposes unions. Musk doesn't actually support actual free speech. Bowing to turkey and censoring poor, tan skinned people is totally ok.
posted by NotAYakk at 2:34 PM on November 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
You seem to have confused principles for marketing.
"Free speech is absolute" is marketing for the position that rich, white, males can say anything without consequence, including social.
Musk actually opposes unions. Musk doesn't actually support actual free speech. Bowing to turkey and censoring poor, tan skinned people is totally ok.
posted by NotAYakk at 2:34 PM on November 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
\
What use is a fancy new Tesla... if you can't get a license... plate...?
posted by tigrrrlily at 11:42 AM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
What use is a fancy new Tesla... if you can't get a license... plate...?
posted by tigrrrlily at 11:42 AM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Very sorry to report that Tesla went to court and the court agreed with Tesla that the Swedish transportation agency is obligated to hand over the new license plates to new Tesla owners. But a total of 9 unions are involved in the action and the government agencies are required not to favour business owners or the unions. So it is not clear what happens next.
posted by Bella Donna at 12:03 PM on November 27, 2023
posted by Bella Donna at 12:03 PM on November 27, 2023
« Older JW Lown | Why have people looked the same for the last 20... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Be interesting to see whether Mr Edgelord is going to stick to his guns once you effectively can't drive a Tesla in Sweden.
posted by Mitheral at 4:52 AM on November 24, 2023 [13 favorites]