this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2023
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In the past, Tesla’s owner, Elon Musk, has publicly threatened workers with retaliation if they were to form a union. "Elon Musk’s business model is to avoid respecting human rights. Now he is taken on by one of our strongest unions. We must defeat the Tesla business model, and Sweden is the best place to start."

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[–] unfreeradical 76 points 1 year ago

It will be interesting to watch their business model working without any workers working.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Context from a publicly funded German TV station, ZDF, retrieved from their teletext:

“We have negotiated for a long time with Tesla regarding a wage agreement – without success. No we see no way other than a strike,” says the union IF Metall.

The strike would impact 120 engineers in seven plants. Wage agreements form the basis of the Swedish labour market and cover almost 90% of employees.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Why build the plant there if they can’t conform to the work culture or provide a decent wage? That seems like an odd decision.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago

Musk is an idiot who likes to turn billions of dollars into a dumpster fire? I feel like we're past the point of finding sound logic in the actions of his companies.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I feel like Americans have trouble accepting that culture is different in other places.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Out-of-touch billionaires especially!

[–] xkforce 28 points 1 year ago

Theyre going to regret that policy

[–] mumblerfish 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

A lot of union laws are being dismantled in sweden, but I think companies are still forced by law to sit down to negotiate. This is not a strike tesla can win.

[–] unfreeradical 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The standoff is also one that workers must win. The force against companies in Sweden is illusory. Workers' only real power is from the force they create themselves, and unless they use their power, it will continue to be eroded.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Which union laws have been dismantled?

[–] mumblerfish 3 points 1 year ago

The conditions under which it is legal for a union to strike were restricted in 2019 https://www.arbetaren.se/2019/02/15/inskrankt-strejkratt-redan-i-sommar/

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Explain me something: in my country, every union is nation wide, with links to every workplace where a unionized worker is employed.

Why do I get the notion on other countries this is not the same?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In my country the unions are also nation wide, but the rules/benefits they negotiate are sector wide. You can also have multiple unions that work for your sector

For example if you start a new supermarket the employees automatically have all the rules and benefits negotiated by unions for the supermarket sector

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Exactly.

Most of what I read here gives me the understanding that the unions are confined from company to company and whatever agreements reached only act for company X and none else.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

That has got to be the most insulting response I've ever seen from a company to a strike threat. Fuck Elon and Fuck Tesla...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Negotiations not in their business model? Hmmm, I wonder what their plan is to run a factory completely without workers then.