Unions representing Swedish cleaners, dockworkers, and postal workers are all threatening to strike against Tesla if it won’t sign a collective agreement with its mechanics
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More unions are joining Tesla’s mechanics, and striking against the American EV manufacturer. Starting on Friday, Tesla vehicles will stop being unloaded at all Swedish docks, and maintenance workers will refuse to clean its stores.
The strike started last month, when Tesla refused to sign a collective agreement with mechanics. In Sweden, workers are not protected by government policies, such as minimum wage, but instead the vast majority join unions that negotiate collective agreements with employers to ensure fair pay.
However, Tesla, and its CEO Elon Musk are staunchly opposed to unionization, and have refused to sign a collective agreement with IF Metall, which represents Swedish mechanics, for the last five years.
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More: Swedish Union Threatens To Block Tesla Deliveries From Ports
After Tesla mechanics ceased working, they were soon joined by the country’s dockworkers, who refused to unload the company’s vehicles at specific harbors. According to a report from Wired , the strike is expected to extend to all Swedish ports starting tomorrow.
Furthermore, the strike is expanding its reach. The Swedish Building Maintenance Workers’ Union has announced its intention to join the strike against Tesla tomorrow, at 12 p.m. local time. This action is anticipated to impact all four showrooms and service centers in the country.
The union joined “simply because the [IF] Metall Workers Trade Union asked us to,” said Torbjorn Jonsson, the ombudsman of the maintenance workers’ union. “Their workshops and showrooms will not be cleaned.”
If Tesla refuses to cave, the Seko union, which represents postal workers, has also threatened to stop delivering mail, parcels, and spare parts to Tesla locations around Sweden as of November 20.
“Tesla is trying to gain competitive advantages by giving the workers worse wages and conditions than they would have with a collective agreement,” said Gabriella Lavecchia, Seko’s union president, in a statement. “It is of course completely unacceptable.”
Swedish unions have a history of collaborative efforts. In 1995, they demonstrated their willingness to work together when they united to confront Toys R Us. This collective action led to the toy store signing a collective agreement following three months of strategic strikes.
