Click for more.
One year after the Swedish union IF Metall called for a strike against Tesla, car manufacturer still refuses to negotiate a collective agreement. Moreover, Tesla has taken a rare measure in Europe of importing scabs, flying in staff from other Tesla plants in Europe to replace the striking workers in Sweden.*
“It has been a year of strike at Tesla and Elon Musk’s total disrespect for the Swedish model, which has successfully governed the country’s labor market for nearly 100 years, stands in stark contrast to other multinational companies in the country. It is unacceptable and the striking workers have the full support of the 50 million members of IndustriALL behind them,” said IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie today.
In Sweden, twelve other unions have joined with sympathy strikes. Unions representing electricians, longshoremen and postal delivery, are taking action. This means, among other things, that Tesla cars are not offloaded in Swedish ports, no work is done on Tesla charging stations and registration plates are not delivered. The sympathy strikes have also spread to the ports in neighboring Nordic countries, where Danish, Norwegian and Finnish unions are also taking action.
Picket lines outside Tesla garages are operated not only by striking Tesla workers, but workers from companies with collective agreements with IF Metall. In a show of solidarity, IndustriALL and ITUC visited the striking workers in Gothenburg earlier this month.
Workers from Volvo Trucks stood strong outside the garage on a picket line manned for eight hours per day, seven days a week. IF Metall sets up a roster using workers from companies in the region with a collective agreement. Workers are allowed time off for strike action and IF Metall pays the wages for the strike days.
The Norwegian Government Pension Fund, one of the largest pension funds in the world, owns ~1% of Tesla, making it one of the largest owners. The CEO of the fund recently told Swedish radio that they meet Tesla management and board on a regular basis and continue to repeat the need for a collective agreement to be signed. Empty talk in AutoInformed’s view.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Tesla Bringing Scab Workers into Sweden to Break Strike
Click for more.
One year after the Swedish union IF Metall called for a strike against Tesla, car manufacturer still refuses to negotiate a collective agreement. Moreover, Tesla has taken a rare measure in Europe of importing scabs, flying in staff from other Tesla plants in Europe to replace the striking workers in Sweden.*
“It has been a year of strike at Tesla and Elon Musk’s total disrespect for the Swedish model, which has successfully governed the country’s labor market for nearly 100 years, stands in stark contrast to other multinational companies in the country. It is unacceptable and the striking workers have the full support of the 50 million members of IndustriALL behind them,” said IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie today.
In Sweden, twelve other unions have joined with sympathy strikes. Unions representing electricians, longshoremen and postal delivery, are taking action. This means, among other things, that Tesla cars are not offloaded in Swedish ports, no work is done on Tesla charging stations and registration plates are not delivered. The sympathy strikes have also spread to the ports in neighboring Nordic countries, where Danish, Norwegian and Finnish unions are also taking action.
Picket lines outside Tesla garages are operated not only by striking Tesla workers, but workers from companies with collective agreements with IF Metall. In a show of solidarity, IndustriALL and ITUC visited the striking workers in Gothenburg earlier this month.
Workers from Volvo Trucks stood strong outside the garage on a picket line manned for eight hours per day, seven days a week. IF Metall sets up a roster using workers from companies in the region with a collective agreement. Workers are allowed time off for strike action and IF Metall pays the wages for the strike days.
The Norwegian Government Pension Fund, one of the largest pension funds in the world, owns ~1% of Tesla, making it one of the largest owners. The CEO of the fund recently told Swedish radio that they meet Tesla management and board on a regular basis and continue to repeat the need for a collective agreement to be signed. Empty talk in AutoInformed’s view.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.