Strike notice issued against Tesla in Sweden, by the metal workers' union (IF Metal).
I approve.
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Strike notice issued against Tesla in Sweden, by the metal workers' union (IF Metal).
I approve.
˜”*°• Papigoe 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ 🏴 🇳🇴 likes this.
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b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The strike against Tesla by the metal-workers' union (IF Metall) in Sweden which is set to begin tomorrow unless something unlikely changes, will be counteracted by Musk's corporation planning to use scabs, according to statement by the CEO of Tesla Nordics at internal meeting with the employees.
The initial strike phase encompasses all of Tesla's automobile repair shops and service points in Sweden, including about 120 mechanics. Up next is an expansion to encompass all work on Tesla vehicles from November 3, which also blocks new sales as license plates can't be mounted adapted for Sweden.
When the combined metal, wood, graphics, and paper workers-union newspaper "Dagens Arbete" (roughly "Today's Labor") called Tesla Sweden to ask about their plans to use the illegal tactic of scabs, their communications manager Maria Lantz responded (my translation):
───
-Is it really illegal to move staff [to break strikes] within the country?
-To perform a striker's work is strike breaking, it does not matter if it is within the country or not.
-Within the country's borders?
-Yes.
-Within the country?
-Yes, don't you know that?
-Okay let me check this and get back to you
───
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The strike against Tesla in Sweden (TM Sweden AB) started at 00:01 local time, for the collective bargaining agreement that the workers have sought for five years.
The Director-General of the National Mediation Office pointed out e.g. that collective agreements are the norm in Sweden and that it is up to the unions to decide if they will go into strike, as well as the most recent time such a major corporation as Tesla and the Klarna Bank (on trike notice since yesterday) kept refusing collective agreements until there was a strike was in the early 90s when 'Toys "Я" Us' caused severe damage to their attempt at establishing themselves in Sweden due to similar behavior (the regional 'Toys "Я" Us'-franchisee 'TOP-TOY A/S' which had 73 shops in the Nordic countries then went bankrupt in 2018).
Now, the Transport Workers' Union has announced a potential solidarity strike for all Tesla cars in the harbors of the cities Malmö, Södertälje, Gothenburg and Trelleborg from November 7, so they will unload all other shipment, all cars from other corporations, but leave all Tesla cars on the ships.
Tesla has consistently refused commenting the strike to every news outlet I have seen.
Here's some coverage in English:
sverigesradio.se/artikel/strik…
Strike action at Tesla in Sweden
Sveriges Radiob9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Tesla employees on strike have been threatened with getting fired and revoked benefits, according to Agreement Secretary Veli-Pekka Säikkälä of the metal workers' union IF Metal in Sweden, currently on strike since midnight to Friday.
Tesla Sweden stated before the strike that they would use scabs (see earlier in this thread) and during the strike several people have been crossing the union's strike picket line, which may be strike breaking.
"Organized strike breaking is very unusual in Sweden. It has not been done since the 1920-30s. It is a threat against the entire labor union movement", commented Säikkälä to TT.
TT, the news agency jointly owned by all major newspapers in Sweden, sought Tesla for a comment, again, still without response.
Of course considering Musk's pro-authoritarianism campaigning, anti-labor stance, expression suppression, etc, it would rather be surprised if Tesla didn't choose to violate the laws of labor protection.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The metal workers' union strike against Tesla expanded 00:01 of the night to today to now encompass work on Tesla-vehicles also outside pure Tesla-automobile repair shops in 15 towns of Sweden.
These 17 workshops continue working on all other vehicles except Teslas.
Currently scheduled next is the sympathy strike blocking unloading of Tesla vehicles off of ships in harbors on November 7 and then additional workshops on November 10.
Tesla continues refusing to comment the strike to major news-media journalists.
Map legend:
How the strike is expanded
[red] Tesla workshops October 27.
[yellow] General workshops November 3.
[blue] Harbors November 7.
[black] General workshops November 10.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •While I was preparing the previous toot, an article was released in English too.
"Strike widens at Tesla Sweden", also covering the topics of strike breakers, sympathy strike and the collective bargaining agreement which is the core of the so-called "Swedish model" of employer/unions-relations and is what Tesla refuses.
sverigesradio.se/artikel/strik…
As Tesla refuses to speak to the press, it's all union representatives speaking in this Public Service radio news piece. Nice PR-strategy, Tesla.
Regarding the intro to the piece, I'll add that another article did specify that 500 people are encompassed by the strike at the 17 workshops.
Strike widens at Tesla Sweden
Sveriges Radiob9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The sympathy strike against Tesla blocking unloading of all Tesla vehicles in four major harbors of Sweden has now begun, in support of the metal workers' union demanding collective bargaining agreement as is normal in Sweden.
Because Tesla has begun rerouting its shipping to circumvent the labor movement, the transport workers' union now also announced they extend the strike to cover unloading all Tesla vehicles in ALL harbors of Sweden, from noon November 17th.
The CEO of one harbor operating corporation (Trelleborg) said they alone normally receive 40-240 Tesla vehicles per day, but supports the strike.
Now the building maintenance workers' union announced they will stop cleaning Tesla's facilities over the shitty behavior.
Susanna Gideonsson, chairperson of the "Swedish Trade Union Confederation" ("LO", largest, at 1.2 million members) said they're ready to escalate further, was asked "Is [the strike] worth it even if Tesla leaves the country?" and responded "Yep!", with followup "and you're ready to take it that far?", getting the response "Yes, if it goes that far, then yes that's sad but... yes, we are", explaining that if Tesla gets an exemption ,then others like Volvo might start too.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Solidarity to the Tesla strike in Sweden was expressed by the metal workers' union IG Metall in Berlin, Germany spokesperson Markus Sievers, saying "We are in solidarity with the Swedish strike and hope that the workers there get their demands fulfilled".
IG Metall are themselves in a long conflict with anti-labor Elon Musk's car company, with over a thousand union members at a "Gigafactory" in Berlin.
Attached picture is from IG Metall's webpage regarding their conflict with Tesla igmetall.de/im-betrieb/ig-meta… in German.
Several more unions have joined the sympathy strikes against Tesla in Sweden, Public Service radio also reports, mentioning as an example that the electricians' union have stated that they will stop performing work such as repairing broken Tesla electric vehicle charging stations and work at Tesla premises throughout Sweden.
IG Metall ist drin bei Tesla
IG Metallb9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •If Tesla circumvents the transport workers' union sympathy strike against unloading vehicles from anti-worker Musk's company in the harbors of Sweden, in sympathy with the steelworkers' strike, by sending the cars through the harbors of Norway instead then the United Federation of Trade Unions in Norway may join the strikes against Tesla.
The union in Norway also states that "we have about 7300 union organized in the car industry, and all of those follow the strike [in Sweden] very closely".
Meanwhile, the transport workers' union in Sweden's central ombudsperson Anders Gustafsson comments the current situation, that "No dockworker in Sweden will touch a Tesla".
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •That means no spare parts or components delivered by packages or on pallets.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Tesla is circumventing the metal workers' union (IF Metall) strike against Tesla in Sweden where one of the several sympathy strikes is a refusal of the Transport Workers' Union to unload any Tesla cars in four major harbors of Sweden.
Tesla circumvents that strike by driving the cars onto regular car ferries. An example given being driving 150 Tesla cars onto a ferry between the major harbors Travemünde, Lübeck, northern Germany and Trelleborg in southern Sweden.
"That can be plugged up too, that would just be to refuse in that case allowing that ferry and to say that since there is a lot of shit onboard, there will be no Swedish docking here, so I think we can handle this pretty reasonably", comments the Transport Workers' Union chairperson Tommy Wreeth (depicted).
Tesla has refused to comment, still.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The Swedish Painters' Union announced that the painters at 53 companies "will refuse to have anything to do with" the cars or accessories from Elon Musk's company from November 21, 2023, noon local time, to then later add strikes at an additional 56 companies against the same if the anti-labor Tesla still refuses to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the metal workers' union IF Metall.
The union calls it "massive strike notices without precedent within the [union-]agreements area".
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Now, it's the Union of Civil Servants (ST, st.org/english/about-st) which "solely focuses on organizing employees within state agencies" announcing that they will stop all delivery of letters, packages and pallets to Tesla from November 21 at 15:00 local time unless the metal workers' union IF Metall gets a collective bargaining agreement.
This covers the workers at PostNord, as it is owned 60% by the State of Sweden and 40% by the State of Denmark, being the equivalent of e.g. the U.S. Postal Service.
About Fackförbundet ST
Fackförbundet ST (st.org)b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The strikes against Tesla expand, for a collective bargaining agreement for Swedish metal workers' union members,
now to also cover the company "Hydro Extrusions" in Vetlanda, southeastern Sweden, which is the only to manufacture a type of crash protection aluminium profiles which are used at the Tesla "gigafactory" assembly in Berlin, taking effect from November 24 at 13:00 local time.
The transport workers' union also says they will ask their sibling unions in the Nordic Countries to join the strikes since Tesla is shipping through new routes there to circumvent the strikes.
Tesla continues to use the extremely odd PR-strategy of letting the workers' representatives speak unopposed to and in news-media regarding the strikes, refuses to comment.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •A tenth labor union gives notice of joining the strikes against Tesla in Sweden.
This time it is the Swedish Building Workers' Union ("Byggnads") that goes out in sympathy strike for the metal workers' union IF Metall,
which will cover refusal of performing service, repairs, new construction and reconstruction including within such union agreement areas as regular construction workers like carpenters, glaziers, water, heating and sewage, ventilation, etc.
This additional strike will take effect on November 28 at 06:00 local time unless anti-worker Elon Musk's company has reached a collective bargaining agreement with the metal workers.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •• The Transport Workers' Union expands its sympathy strike to refusing to touch any Tesla vehicles in any of the harbors in Sweden.
• Electricians' Union will refuse to perform repairs at Tesla's 10 premises in Sweden and will not repair the >200 Tesla charging stations in Sweden.
• The Building Maintenance Workers' Union stops cleaning Tesla's facilities.
Background information on IF Metall’s conflict at Tesla
IF Metallb9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Commenting on anti-labor Elon Musk's Tesla's behavior against the employees on strike in Sweden, Dirk Schulze, the regional head of the metal workers' union "IG Metall" in Brandenburg, Germany, where Tesla's Berlin "Gigafactory" is also in conflict against the employees, said that the bosses of not just major corporations but also smaller companies behave like this, that the boss, owner or investors want to see a situation where they say "I am the Lord of the house", but this behavior from employers, in this case Elon Musk and his management does not in any way belong in the 2023; it was outdated already a hundred years ago and even more so today.
Schulze also gave examples of how the work load has resulted in the number of people on sickleave have drastically increased, that they at several departments have more than 30% off work due to sickness, sometimes over 40% and in some few cases over 50%, even though management and the human resources department threatens to fire people when they are sick too long.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Strike breaking ordered by court against the "Swedish Model" under which strike breaking is illegal, when anti-worker Elon Musk's Tesla sued the State of Sweden (the Transport Agency) and the Postal Service ("Postnord") to get posession of the car license plates that are covered by the currently ongoing strike since they according to current rules are to be delivered to Tesla by Postnord from the plates manufacturer Scandinavian Motorcenter.
The multinational giant claimed in its lawsuit that it was being "discriminated against", for being treated like every other corporation would be in in the same context.
The District Court of Norrköping, eastern Sweden, ruled that Tesla can transport the license plates themselves, in violation of about a hundred years of labor/employer agreement to not do strike breaking but also avoid labor conflicts as long as possible.
District Courts in Sweden in general have per case have one presiding judge with laws education, while the rest are lay judges appointed by political parties regardless of their knowledge of the laws. It is therefore technically a political ruling.
The ruling has been appealed, so the court-ordered strike breaking has been suspended and not taken effect yet.
The next level of court, Appeals Court, has judges based on laws education.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Postal Service declares it can not order strike breaking for Tesla in Sweden.
PostNord, the States of Sweden (60%) and Denmark (40%) owned Postal Service wrote to the District Court of Solna in Stockholm County where PostNord is headquartered, that
"PostNord's stance in a conflict which we are essentially outside of, has been that the right to strike is constitutionally protected and is therefore superior to the delivery obligation of the Postal Act" and therefore it can not order the workers to strike break for Tesla, and so says they are not responsible for the situation of not delivering license plates to Tesla cars, under force majeure.
All true.
Elon Musk reportedly (some week ago) ordered Tesla Sweden to refuse any agreement with the workers and Tesla threatened retaliations such as firing striking workers, which is illegal.
Tesla claims in its lawsuit PostNord's actions, entirely in line with normal labor-market relations, is a "targeted and unlawful attack against Tesla" and claimed PostNord has "seized shipments" (untrue), which it laughably claims is "almost system-threatening", meaning socioeconomic system of entire society.
Someone there is clearly feeling very unwell and should urgently seek help.
PostNord described Tesla's comments as "detached from reality",
which is true.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Strike against Tesla in Sweden will be joined by Denmark's largest union, the United Federation of Danish Workers (3F tema.3f.dk/en/3fsprog).
After reports that anti-worker Musk's Tesla is strike breaking by rerouting shipments in Denmark to circumvent the strikes in Sweden, the transport workers' section of the union gives notice it will in 14 days stop handling Tesla cars headed for Sweden and will not handle them until Tesla "sits down at the negotiation table".
"Even if one is one of the richest people in the world, one can't just have your own rules. We have some agreements on the labor market in the Nordic Countries, and one must follow those if one wants to operate here", said 3F Transport's chairperson Jan Villadsen to TV2 in Denmark, adding that "IF Metall [metal workers' union, Sweden] and the Swedish employees are currently fighting in an incredibly important struggle. When they ask for our help, we naturally support".
Tesla continues to refuse commenting.
The Swedish Transport Agency also appeals the court order to strike break for Tesla, citing security reasons.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Remember, Elon Musk's violations against the productive classes isn't a local thing in some distant places, but a systematic part of the same multinational exploitation organization, to further the opulence of the person that's already the world's richest in money and among poorest in humanity.
Apart from the struggles against Tesla to defend the actual human right to unionize (see e.g. the "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" to which 171 States are parties, etc) previously covered in this thread both all over Sweden and also in Germany,
here's an arbitrary sample from elsewhere too, from this March 20:
The Gory Truth Behind Elon Musk’s Texas Takeover
youtu.be/jvI5QIiMlcE
perfectunion.us/the-gory-truth…
Don't drive your sibling workers' exploitation. You might not be able to always pick "the best" out of human rights, environmental, etc aspects, but that doesn't mean you must fund the plausibly worst.
The Gory Truth Behind Elon Musk's Texas Takeover
Jordan Zakarin (More Perfect Union)b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •• The now multinatonal strikes against Tesla in Sweden will be joined by largest private sector union in Norway, Fellesforbundet, on December 20 unless anti-labor Musk's company accepted collective bargaining agreement demand from the metal workers' union in Sweden (IF Metall).
"Tesla will not be able to transport Swedish Teslas through Norway. When they are being stopped in Swedish and Danish harbors we will ensure they can not take the route through the Norwegian", Fellesforbundet's spokesperson John Trygve Tollefsen commented to the TT news agency.
• The Göta Court of Appeals (W Sweden) accepts the Transport Agency's appeal of a District Court's previous ruling ordering strike breaking so therefore decided the previous ruling will not be implemented until it has ruled on the case.
• Tesla's lobbyist e-mailed govt office asking for "an audience" with Labor-market Minister. Govt can by constitution not act on strikes, etc. The Lobbyist had quit before media called to request comment. Communications boss Maria Lantz asked for "more details" but then didn't call back.
• Meanwhile, apparently itching for fights, Tesla also brings a case to the Supreme Court against having a ¤4 debt to a car service company in Norrköping, east Sweden, enforced by the Crown Bailiff ("Enforcement Authority").
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •"Danish pension fund to sell its Tesla shares over union dispute"
reuters.com/sustainability/dan…
It is PensionDanmark, regarding the sympathy strike in Denmark by the largest union confederation 3F's transport section, in solidarity with the metal workers' union of Sweden, IF Metall, for the collective bargaining agreement that is the local custom.
It is the largest non-commercial pensions fund in Denmark, founded by unions like 3F together with employers' associations like the "Confederation of Danish Industry" (DI), to manage the pensions funds that are part of the standard collective agreements in Denmark and is owned by its members.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The Postal Service does not have to strike break against the Tesla metal workers' union in Sweden until the case has reached its final ruling, the relevant District Court decided today, citing as reason that if their previous ruling would be enforced before a final ruling is reached, then one of the parties (Tesla) would have won the case before the final ruling.
Also today, it was reported that the Work Environment Authority found six flaws at a Tesla showroom and workshop in Gothenburg.
"If you won't act against the flaws and risks we may rule for an injunction or a ban", the report said for such core flaws as lacking signs for emergency exits and a "truck" (forklift?) driver lacking written permit, employees lacked education and doctors' certificate to use the hazardous material "BETASEAL" (presumably dupont.com/brands/betaseal.htm…).
The Work Environment Authority will check back at the latest end of January, 2024.
There were also flaws found and action demanded by the Work Environment Authority at another Tesla workshop and dealership in Mölndal (kinda near Gothenburg) last week, related to a pressurized air contaier.
Sounds like some total amateur operation...
BETASEAL™
www.dupont.comb9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •"Finnish Transport Workers' Union AKT's executive committee decided that AKT also joins with other unions to support Tesla workers.
Blockade of Tesla vehicles starts in all the ports 20th December. That means Tesla vehicles or components destined to Swedish markets are not loaded by dockers."
Read the union's statement in full, in English, here:
akt.fi/uutiset/the-akt-executi…
The AKT executive committee decided on sympathy actions for Tesla
www.akt.fib9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Tesla will NOT get to temporarily while awaiting the courts process break the ongoing strike in Sweden by itself acquiring the license plates for new vehicles from the manufacturer to bypass the normal transportation by the Postal Service on behalf of the Transport Agency, the Göta Court of Appeals made a final ruling today.
The court ruled that the regular processes during strikes should continue to be applied and that the Transport Agency had not been sabotaging or obstructing Tesla, which Tesla absurdly had claimed to the court.
Also announced today is that the transport workers' union will stop dealing with Tesla's garbage starting on Christmas Eve, a complete trash blockade, unless the workers' demands have been met.
That expanded sympathy strike covers all workshops and other premises in the country.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Have YOU been inspired by Tesla's assault on the "Swedish Model" of collective bargaining as a norm and the remnants of a legacy of strong workers' rights in the Nordic Countries?
Do YOU too hate the universal human right to unionize?
Now YOU can become a lobbyist for authoritarianism-promoting Elon Musk's Tesla, in an area where lobbyism hasn't been a thing until relatively recently and is still frowned upon as immoral. Bah, morals, who need them if you've got a BA in BS, right?
I'm sarcastic, but Tesla isn't. Their job posting for a lobbyist is real.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Tesla is now fined over a surprise inspection at Tesla premises in Malmö, southernmost Sweden.
"Through letting your employees use forklift on the above-mentioned inspection occasion without having previously issued required written permission for such use, you have violated §19 AFS 2006:5. You must therefore pay a sanction fee", the Swedish Work Environment Authority wrote, issuing a SEK93000 "sanctions fee" (the fine equivalent for that Agency).
"Sanction fees" are stated in that paragraph to range between SEK15000 and SEK150000 and are based on the number of employees.
"AFS 2006:5" is the "Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations and general advice on use of trucks [=forklifts and similar]".
Tesla have until January 8 to appeal or accept.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The unions SEKO and ST are not allowed to participate in the court case of Tesla suing the Postal Service to force it to strike break against those unions' ongoing sympathy strikes for the metal workers' union against Tesla in Sweden,
with the Solna District Court justifying its decision by declaring that the SEKO and ST unions did not show "probable grounds for their claim that the matter concerns their rights".
I mean... the whole matter is on the foundation of those unions striking and protection of their right to strike. All of it concerns their rights.
You drunk, court?
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Tesla is now strike breaking against the sympathy strike against it in Sweden by mass-ordering "replacement" vehicle license plates to be delivered directly to Tesla's customers instead of to the vehicle seller, Tesla, as is the norm, reports the newspaper of the "Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees" trade union umbrella organization.
The ordering of such replacement vehicle license plates is normally for if the previous one on the vehicle had been destroyed or lost, but now 140 such "replacement" vehicle license plates had been ordered according to a count on Friday, without the initial license plates having been delivered yet because they are covered by the sympathy strikes for the metal workers' union, also circumventing two court cases wherein Tesla has sued the Transport Agency and the Postal Service to get court ordered strike breaking and those cases still not having had their final rulings.
Not unlikely that this intentional circumvention of the ongoing court cases could become a matter within those cases and may be ruled contempt of court or similar.
The paper sought Tesla for a comment but Tesla refuses to comment, as usual.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Someone showed the press the secret employment agreements that Tesla demands to hire people in Sweden.
They are reportedly between 40-70 pages long instead of normally no more than five and include gagging the workers lifelong even if they quit Tesla from speaking anything about the company, as well as having to pay a fine if they quit Tesla and then get work elsewhere within 6 months at a competitor, as well as there being conditions that mean the employees waive their intellectual property rights including those that have nothing to do with Tesla.
The agreements-secretary at the "Swedish Trade Union Confederation" (LO) comments that they are "disgusting agreements" and to have never seen anything like those before.
Also the chief legal officer at the Legal Bureau of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, which also covers members of the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO), so a total of ~2.4 million members, says to have never seen anything like it and that "I don't think any employee understands what you are actually committing to and agreeing to".
Tesla has commented that they "follow Swedish labor market rules" (which is obviously a severe stretch of the common understanding of those words).
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •[...]
"We can't allow one man or one company to come and say, I want to do this in another way, you need to change your system. If you want to be here, you're very welcome, but you have to follow the rules," said Jan Villadsen, chairman of 3F Transport.
[...]
Dansk Metal [Denmark's metalworkers' union] is especially working towards getting unions in Germany to join, Nielsen said. Tesla has 11,000 workers in Gruenheide, near Berlin.'
reuters.com/business/autos-tra…
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Public Service radio news report that "the parties to the Tesla-conflict have now met again" regarding the many strikes ifmetall.se/aktuellt/tesla/bac… against Tesla in Sweden which have now expanded to also Denmark, Norway and Finland, but that no progress was made in negotiations.
It has been previously reported that Tesla flat out refused meeting the workers' representatives and that Tesla's CEO Elon Musk would have ordered Tesla Sweden to not reach any agreement whatsoever with the labor unions.
Background information on IF Metall’s conflict at Tesla
IF Metallb9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The Postal Service has no obligation to deliver to Tesla under solidarity strike with the metal workers' union in Sweden, the Svea Court of Appeal confirmed by rejecting anti-worker Musk's car company's appeal to get the courts system to order the State-owned Postal Service ("PostNord") to order its staff to strike break.
"It is gratifying that the Court of Appeal has come to the only reasonable conclusion, that the constitutionally protected right to strike trumps Tesla's interests", commented Gabriella Lavecchia, chair of the "Swedish Union for Service and Communications Employees" (SEKO).
Meanwhile, metal workers' union "IF Metall" at the core of the now intl conflict wherein they have been at strike since October 27 (see previous toots in this long thread) has finally had it with those of its members that have just continued working at Tesla and will now expel those strike breaking members. That has never happened before. The difference is probably that Tesla has threatened to fire workers for striking, even though that would be illegal.
Aaand an employee is accused By Tesla of breaking the lifetime employment-contract gag-order against speaking about Tesla, because the employee's wife tweeted the husband was on strike, to counter disinformation that "nobody is on strike at Tesla".
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •In English, from Public Service radio of Sweden: sverigesradio.se/artikel/u-s-a…
U.S. auto union: ”Swedish Tesla union strike truly inspiring”
Sveriges Radiob9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •Strike and blockades against Tesla in Sweden will get a temporarily decreased impact on Tesla vehicle owners decided IF Metall, the metalworkers' union in Sweden.
The dispensation will let Tesla vehicle owners with undrivable vehicles through e.g. having been totaled in traffic collisions repair those at 30 NON-Tesla repair workshops between February 19 (this Monday) and April 30.
The metalworkers' union agreements secretary Veli-Pekka Säikkälä estimates 100-200 cars are currently damaged to the affected severity.
Repairs at Tesla's own repair workshops will still NOT be permitted.
Which individual Tesla cars will be allowed within the union's dispensation will be decided by the union's local rep together with the repair workshop where the car is awaiting repairs.
Veli-Pekka clarifies this is NOT them backing down, but in fact a signal that they intend to keep striking until victory,
while it will let local workshops recover some costs for already stocked repair parts and decrease impact on those with cars unusable for months now.
"When this window closes, it will be very difficult to get one's car repaired so one must consider with caution which car one buys", Veli-Pekka also very helpfully points out, which may also be a hint of the expected length of intransigence on Tesla's part.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The strikes against Tesla expand in Sweden.
The "Swedish Union for Service and Communications Employees" (SEKO) today issued notice that its members will stop connecting any new, do project planning or maintenance, etc of all of Tesla's charging stations in Sweden, in a sympathy strike with the ongoing IF Metall, metalworkers' union strike.
This new part of the strikes against Tesla will take effect on March 4 at 01:00.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •sverigesradio.se/artikel/swedi…
Swedish Tesla buyers have no problems getting their cars despite strikes
Sveriges Radiob9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •I deem the statements made incredible, actually not credible, so since I consider it either misinformation or disinformation I can not responsibly and will not aid in further propagating the article's content.
But now you know it happened, after 5 months(!!!).
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The Postal Service in Sweden has no obligation to deliver to Tesla under solidarity strike with the metal workers' union in Sweden.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The strikes and blockades against anti-worker Elon Musk's Tesla in Sweden will be expanded yet again by another union joining in a sympathy blockade.
This time it is "Unionen" (self-describing as "Sweden’s largest trade union on the private labour market and the largest white-collar trade union in the world") halting all work done at DEKRA Industrial corporation for Tesla, listing as an example of such work the inspection of vehicle elevators at Tesla, on May 14 unless Tesla has reached an deal with IF Metall, the metal workers' union of Sweden.
b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •"It is disgusting", comments metal workers' union ombudsperson Peter Lydell (depicted) that anti-worker Musk's Tesla has been flying in scabs to break the metal workers' union IF Metall's strike for the collective agreement customary in Sweden, a strike which also has many other unions both in Sweden and all Nordic Countries participating in solidarity actions, increasingly since October 27, 2023.
It is the newspaper of the paper-, metal-, forestry-, woodwork- and media-unions that has revealed today that Tesla on 41 occasions have flown in workers from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Great Britain and Austria to use circumventing the ongoing strike.
"It's serious. The [labor market] parties agreed in 1938 that this will not be something one uses", the union ombusdperson further comments.
"You have to go back to the interwar period [1918-39] to find anything similar", says associate professor in strike research Christer Thörnqvist.
The newspaper explains Tesla is using an EU-imposed loophole called secondment, letting corporations graft workers all across the continent.
Tesla had 0 (zero) secondments year before the strike but 41 cases since February, according to filings with the Work Environment Authority.
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in reply to b9AcE • • •The circumvention of the strike against anti-union Elon Musk's Tesla in Sweden by ordering the license plates for new cars under sympathy blockade at the Postal Service and a private alternative (CityMail) to instead be delivered to other addresses "care of TM Sweden [=Tesla's company in Sweden]" will now be blocked by the labor unions too, as the blockades will be expanded to cover also those addresses from May 24, the unions announced.
Meanwhile, Court of Appeals announced yesterday that it rejects hearing Tesla's case demanding the workers' postal blockade against delivering car license plates for new Tesla-cars in Sweden be broken, tells Tesla such a case should have been in the Administrative Courts system instead of the general courts.
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in reply to b9AcE • • •alongside similar also related to the staunchly anti-unionizaation tech giant Apple.
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in reply to b9AcE • • •has now also sued Tesla for 100000 crowns (≈ $9400) because Tesla has not been giving out information regarding the company's economy and activities as required by the "Employment (Co-Determination in the Workplace) Act" (government.se/government-polic… in English) regardless of whether there is a collective agreement or not.
Employment (Co-Determination in the Workplace) Act (Lag om medbestämmande i arbetslivet)
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in reply to b9AcE • • •The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) in USA "has filed federal labor charges against disgraced billionaires Donald Trump and Elon Musk for their illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers who stand up for themselves by engaging in protected concerted activity, such as strikes."
uaw.org/uaw-files-federal-labo…
I'll file this in my thread on the metal workers' union lead strike still ongoing since October 27, 2023, in Sweden and surrounding countries, because the illegal retaliation tactics suggested by Trump are those Tesla publicly stated they would use against the workers in Sweden until they were told that is illegal and the shockingly incompetent bosses didn't know that.
Same struggle, worldwide. Tesla and Trump, same malicious anti-worker metastasization threatening everyone.
UAW Files Federal Labor Charges Against Donald Trump and Elon Musk for Attempting to Intimidate and Threaten Workers - UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America
Justin Mayhugh (UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America)b9AcE
in reply to b9AcE • • •The IF Metall-lead strike against anti-worker Elon Musk's car company Tesla in Sweden is the longest in modern history, Public Service radio of Sweden points out today, as it will have been continuously ongoing for 10 months in 2 days,
also pointing out that 10 unions in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland have joined with sympathy actions (e.g. blockades, overtime strikes, etc) in support of IF Metall's strike.
The union's agreements secretary Simon Petersson says they have even more actions they may activate in their conflict for their right to the collective agreement which is the norm in Sweden and that the number of union members at Tesla in Sweden (or "TM Sweden", as is its proper name) has risen during the strike from just over 40 to roughly 50, which the agreements secretary says they estimate to be just over 50% of "the potential members, that is those who would be encompassed by the agreement if we would agree on one".
Tesla in Sweden as usual chose to not comment to the press but just referred to a previously written PR-statement, which has been found inaccurate so I won't repeat it.
Public Service radio also mentioned that the latest mediation attempt was in April.
Pic: IF Metall Stockholm picket guards Carl Stern and Arturo Vasquez at Tesla's facility in Segeltorp, Stockholm.
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in reply to b9AcE • • •"Swedish union files lawsuit against Tesla over labour conflict"
reuters.com/markets/europe/swe…
Well, I tooted that information when it was actually new on July 2nd (see earlier in this thread) but nobody boosted and now it's a new "news" article from Reuters.
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in reply to b9AcE • • •The postal service is not required to deliver to Tesla under sympathy-blockade by labor unions supporting IF Metall, the metalworkers' union of Sweden, ruled the Solna District Court just north of Stockholm city.
The blockade's purpose is primarily to deny delivery of new car license plates enabling sales of new Tesla vehicles during the very long strike for the workers' right to the normal collective agreement (see earlier in this thread).
Senior Judge Patrik Alm at Solna District Court said it is "Because we are prevented from intervening in the ongoing labor market conflict and if we had ruled as Tesla wants we hold that it would have been the same as intervening in the labor market conflict and we are for constitutional reasons not allowed to do that." (my translation).
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in reply to b9AcE • • •"We strongly recommend against having anything to do with" unserious car companies says new statement specifically mentioning Tesla,
issued today by the association "M Sweden" (formerly "The Swedish Automobile Association", equivalent of e.g. the "American Automobile Association" a.k.a. "Triple A") which is the by far largest motorists' association in Sweden.
It is not directly related to the ongoing very long major strike against Tesla in Sweden, but instead is because Tesla has been added to the Blacklist by the magazine of the "Swedish Consumers' Association" (equivalent to USA's "Consumer Reports") over Tesla not following the decision of the "National Board for Consumer Disputes" (ARN) on warranty issue, particularly a case where a Tesla customer had the doors on their vehicle mounted wrong and other issues so wanted the doors to be remounted correctly and resulting damages repaired, but Tesla refused.
The blacklisting of Tesla may strengthen the metalworkers' very long strike against Tesla, so I'll put this toot in that thread.
Public Service radio of Sweden "has reached out to Tesla for a comment", but didn't report getting statement.
Tesla in Sweden almost always leaves public relations to a walkover loss after previously admitting intent to commit law violations to press.
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in reply to b9AcE • • •After the Supreme Court rejected anti-workers Elon Musk's Tesla in Sweden seeking to order breaking of the Metal Workers' Union (IF Metall) strike which has been ongoing for 1¼ year now by ordering the postal service to end its sympathy strike blockade on delivering new license plates for new Tesla cars...
...they now brought the same issue as a new case to the Administrative Court in Karlstad (western mid-Sweden) and probably intend to bring it all the way up to the top again, now to the Supreme Administrative Court which is equally Supreme to the other Supreme one, but for administrative cases (i.e. involving the State, municipalities, agencies, etc) while the other Supreme court does criminal law and civil law cases.
IF Metall in on strike since October 27, 2023, because they just want the same collective agreement as is normal for every similar employer in Sweden since about a century.