Not only Sweden is protesting against Tesla, another country has joined – Garáž.cz

With reference to today’s statement from the 3F trade union, Bloomberg reported about it. The protest will not affect the carmaker’s operations in Denmark, a union spokesman said. The strike could also extend to Norway.

In Sweden, Tesla has been in dispute with unions for over a month. On October 27, the IF Metall union announced a strike by mechanics who refused to perform maintenance on Tesla cars because the automaker refuses to negotiate a collective agreement. Since then, members of other unions have joined the protest. Dock workers, garbage collectors, electricians and postmen, among others, refuse to do work associated with Tesla.

According to sources, the head of the car company, Elon Musk, is against the signing of the collective agreement, who called the protest “crazy”.

“Even if you’re one of the richest people in the world, you can’t just make your own rules,” said Jan Villadsen from the 3F trade union. “We have certain labor market agreements in the Nordic countries, and if you want to do business here, you have to follow them.”

Sweden is Tesla’s fifth largest European market and signing any agreement with Swedish unions would set a precedent for the company. Tesla has strongly opposed unionization efforts in other countries where it operates. However, collective agreements are common practice in Sweden, affecting approximately 90 percent of all working Swedes.

The carmaker is defending itself against the union’s action in Sweden and has filed two lawsuits. A week ago, a Swedish court ruled that the state transport authority must find a way to supply license plates for new Tesla cars that striking postal workers do not want to deliver. In the case of the second lawsuit, the court should decide this week. It refers to the delivery of license plates that are stuck in the post office.

The protest could also spread to Norway. A similar blockade is being considered by the United Federation of Trade Unions, which, according to spokesman John Trygve Tollefsen, is monitoring the situation.

Union solidarity is a common part of the labor market in the Nordic countries, and cross-border strikes are not unusual. In 2015, for example, Swedish pilots joined a protest by Norwegian Air Shuttle pilots.