Musk Calls Sweden Tesla Strike Fallout "Crazy Act"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who has emphasized the principle of "no-union management," criticized the disruption in local sales caused by the strike of Swedish workers as "insane."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 23rd (local time), Musk CEO responded on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to a user who mentioned that Tesla vehicle license plates were not being delivered in Sweden due to a union strike, stating, "This is insane." This is the first time Musk CEO has publicly reacted to the strike by Swedish workers.

About 130 mechanics belonging to the Swedish Metalworkers' Union (IF Metall) working at 10 Tesla service centers in 7 Swedish cities have been on strike since the 27th of last month, protesting the company's refusal to conclude a collective wage agreement. Additionally, the Swedish Dockworkers' Union and Transport Workers' Union have supported the metalworkers' strike by halting Tesla-related ship unloading and refusing mail delivery since early this month. As a result, not only has the operation of Tesla service centers been affected, but the delivery of new car license plates issued by the transport authority has been delayed, causing disruptions in vehicle handovers and business operations.

Bloomberg reported that "the protest by the Transport Workers' Union angered Musk CEO," adding, "This means that the delivery of new car license plates is blocked, making it impossible to use new Tesla cars in Sweden." In Sweden, collective actions carried out in solidarity by other workers are legally protected.

As the mechanics' strike enters its fifth week, negotiations have effectively stalled. Representatives from both sides confirmed this fact to local Swedish media earlier. However, the Guardian recently assessed that Tesla is likely to meet the demands of the Swedish union.

With the Swedish Tesla workers' strike spreading to collective actions by other unions, industry insiders have suggested that this could impact Musk CEO's long-held no-union management principle. The strike in Sweden has also sparked union formation movements in countries like Germany. Sean Fain, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), which led simultaneous strikes at the three major U.S. automakers, has stated that the next target is to organize a union at Tesla.

Musk CEO, regarded as a prominent opponent of unions, has repeatedly criticized unions in public. Among major automobile manufacturers operating in Europe, Tesla is the only company without unions on the ground.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.