Tesla employees in Sweden raised their voice against the American firm, starting a strike in response to the categorical refusal of the enterprise to sign a collective agreement on wages. The action was announced by the trade union IF Metall, which represents the interests of Swedish metallurgical workers.
This strike is accompanied by 130 Tesla mechanics working in seven workshops across the Scandinavian country. Jesper Pettersson, spokesman for IF Metall, emphasized that these workers are suffering “inequality in pay and unfavorable working conditions compared to colleagues in other companies in the sector”. In fact, they earn lower wages, don’t use the same insurance, and have less favorable pensions.
The beginnings of change?
In Sweden, collective agreements are negotiated by sector and form the basis of the Swedish labor market. They cover about 90% of all Swedish workers and guarantee a minimum wage and fair working conditions. The 300,000-member IF Metall union says the deals also benefit companies by allowing them to work on an equal footing within a sector.
Many Tesla workers in Sweden are members of IF Metall, although their company has not signed an industry collective agreement. Tesla recently confirmed its refusal to sign such an agreement, stating that it does not follow this practice in the rest of the world.
Tesla has no intention of changing its mind
Tesla, the American pioneer of electric cars, has long been reluctant to unionize among its 127,000 employees worldwide. This caused tension in the company, and the Swedish workers seem to have reached the extreme point of starting this strike to assert their rights.
In response to this strike, IF Metall promised to pay the strikers financial compensation equal to their wages. If Tesla does not revise its position on the collective agreement, the strike could spread to all other workshops in Sweden where Tesla cars are repaired, not just those where the American company’s employees work.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.