Tesla Vs Unions in Sweden: Court of Appeal Blocks Delivery of License Plates

A Swedish court on Thursday rejected a request by Tesla to compel a postal operator to deliver license plates to it pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the electric car maker, according to AFP.

Since October 27, around 130 mechanics at 10 Tesla repair shops in seven Swedish cities have gone on strike to protest Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective labor agreement, which underpins the Swedish social model.

Instead, Tesla has a policy of not signing collective bargaining agreements and says its employees have conditions as good as or even better than those demanded by IF Metall.

The strike then spread to a dozen unions eager to protect the model, including the postal workers union.

According to a contract that applies to all Swedish government agencies, the dispatch of license plates is reserved for the public postal operator Postnord.

And since November, Tesla has taken legal action to demand these plates, which are essential for its customers to use their cars.

“Very specific conditions are needed to make such a decision, and this requirement was not met,” Judge Patrik Alm of the Solna District Court said in a statement.

Tesla had previously won, obtaining a preliminary injunction from another district court authorizing it to recover the license plates directly from the manufacturer.

But on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal suspended this decision.

Collective agreements with trade unions are the basis of the Swedish social model, covering almost 90% of all employees and guaranteeing wages and working conditions.

For its part, Tesla has long rejected calls to unionize its 127,000 workers worldwide.

In this country with 10.5 million inhabitants, approximately 50,000 Teslas are registered.