Amidst an ongoing labor strike, the Swedish Transport Workers Union (Svenska Transportarbetareförbundet) is poised to cease handling Tesla’s electric vehicles arriving at the country’s major ports. The union has rallied behind Sweden’s Industrifacket Metall, a trade union currently in dispute with Tesla.
With over 240,000 members across diverse industries, IF Metall is one of Sweden’s largest trade unions, encompassing sectors ranging from building materials to mining, automotive, and auto repair. The strike centers on securing a collective bargaining agreement with Tesla, a company that operates in a context where up to 90 percent of the country’s workforce is covered by such agreements.
IF Metall’s contract secretary, Veli-Pekka Säikkälä, emphasized the unusual nature of the strike, underscoring that Tesla Sweden has indicated a reluctance to engage in a collective agreement. The strike, which commenced on October 27, is set to expand on November 3 to include Tesla’s authorized repair facilities.
In a show of solidarity, IF Metall has called on other unions for support, prompting the Transport Workers to announce their intent to stand with the strike starting November 7. They have stated that they will refrain from handling incoming shipments of Tesla vehicles and components at the ports of Malmö (Copenhagen Malmö Port AB), Södertälje (Södertälje Hamn AB), Gothenburg (Logent Ports & Terminal AB Gothenburg), and Trelleborg (Trelleborg Hamn AB).
The Transport Workers have made it clear that they will not handle Tesla shipments until the company commits to a collective agreement with IF Metall. Although talks have resumed, no agreement has been reached thus far.
Notably, Clean Technica reports that the Tesla Model Y has emerged as the top-selling vehicle in Sweden. In September alone, 3,050 Model Y cars were registered, nearing the record of 3,202 in March 2023. The Model Y outperformed its closest competitor, the Volkswagen ID.4, by nearly threefold. Year-to-date figures indicate that 13,457 Model Y cars have been registered, underscoring the vehicle’s popularity in the Swedish market.
Based on registration data, electric vehicles now constitute two-thirds of all car sales in Sweden, up from just over 55 percent a year ago. In September, fully electric vehicles represented 40 percent of new registrations, with plug-in hybrids accounting for an additional 20 percent, matching the percentage of gasoline-powered cars registered that month.
Tommy Wreeth, Transport’s union chairman, emphasized the importance of collective agreements in the Swedish labor market, advocating for Tesla employees to also enjoy safe and fair working conditions. Transport has pledged to implement a blockade against all loading and unloading activities involving Tesla vehicles at the four ports until a resolution is reached with the company’s workforce.