German trade union IG Metall labeled IF Metall’s strike against Tesla Sweden illegal. IG Metall shared its perspective on the Tesla Sweden vs. IF Metall issue.
Germany’s trade union IG Metall turned down Swedish union IF Metall’s call to action against Tesla.
“That would be illegal. You strike for your own business, for your own wages. A political strike would mean violating the duty to work, and then the employer could take action against the employees,” said IG Metall spokesman Markus Sievers.
Most Tesla Sweden employees have chosen to stay out of IF Metall’s strike. They have cited many reasons to continue working, including good working conditions and decent wages. IF Metall has argued that the collective agreements are culturally significant in Sweden, despite Tesla employees’ opinions.
IG Metall has a different perspective.
“If IG Metall got to decide, Tesla’s employees would have a collective agreement. But the initiative must come from the employees,” said the press spokesperson for the German union.
Tesla Sweden vs. IF Metall Background
IF Metall aims to get Tesla Sweden to sign a collective agreement. However, Elon Musk has directed Tesla Sweden to refrain from signing any collective agreement.
The fight between IF Metall and Tesla Sweden has led to two court cases against the the Swedish Transport Agency and courier Postnord. The Texas-based automaker filed the lawsuits after it stopped receiving new registered license plates necessary to deliver car orders to paying customers.
After Tesla filed the lawsuits, IF Metall called on unions worldwide to fight against Tesla. Norway and Denmark answered IF Metall’s call, planning sympathy strikes against Tesla. The two Nordic countries have promised to block any Tesla imports to Sweden. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union also announced plans to strike against Tesla in the United States.
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