After Nearly Three Years: IF Metall Ends Tesla Conflict

IF Metall is ending its industrial action against Tesla in Sweden after nearly three years of conflict. The announcement comes after Tesla bought out all of the union members who had been striking at the company.

The industrial action will cease as of Wednesday, August 19, at 00:01, IF Metall announced. According to the union, the buyouts mean that the conflict no longer has any practical effect.

The background is the long-standing conflict over collective bargaining agreements. IF Metall has demanded that Tesla sign a collective agreement for its employees in Sweden, something the company has opposed.

Simon Petersson, IF Metall’s contract secretary, simultaneously directs harsh criticism towards Tesla, claiming the company’s behavior is unprecedented in the Swedish labor market.

– We can conclude that Tesla is so strongly opposed to collective agreements that they would rather buy out employees who are union members than offer them secure conditions, says Simon Petersson, and continues:

– There is no precedent for this in the Swedish labor market – just like Tesla’s systematic strikebreaking. They have used methods that have been banned in Sweden since the 1930s, says IF Metall’s contract secretary Simon Petersson.

Despite the industrial action now ending, IF Metall says the demand for a collective agreement still stands. The union also emphasizes that the conflict has received support from a large number of other trade unions.