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Elon Musk v the Swedish working class one year on
From the ports to the postal service, Swedish unions are outmanoeuvring Tesla in solidarity with striking mechanics — speaking to Tony Burke, IF Metall’s MARIE NEILSON explains that collective bargaining remains non-negotiable in Sweden
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ON October 27 last year, mechanics working for Tesla in Sweden walked out on strike after the company refused to agree to a collective bargaining agreement. Sectoral collective bargaining is standard practice in Sweden, but Elon Musk and the company refuse to sit down and reach an agreement.
Marie Neilson is the president of the workers’ union IF Metall and president of the powerful global manufacturing and energy union IndustriALL. Tony Burke interviewed her exclusively for the Morning Star.
Why is it important for IF Metall to have a collective agreement with Tesla?
Our members at Tesla deserve long-term, fair and safe working conditions, just like everyone else in the Swedish labour market. We have been trying to negotiate a collective agreement with Tesla for many years, but they have continued to refuse to negotiate an agreement.
Tesla is a major player in the auto industry, and they should, of course, compete on the same terms as all other companies in Sweden and respect the basic principles of the Swedish labour market. At its core, this is about wages, pensions, and conditions for our members working at Tesla.
Local management will be well aware of the way things work in Sweden. How much influence do you think they have with Musk?
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