Tesla, which had previously been self-righteous in the turmoil of the US automotive industry strike, has become the target of attack by Swedish unions. As the strike escalates and more industries join in, Tesla's CEO, Tesla, can no longer sit still. On Thursday (November 23), local time, Tesla commented on social media X (formerly Twitter), saying, "This is insane." The strike was led by 130 mechanics from Tesla's repair shops, who belong to the IF Metal Union.
Tesla, which had previously been self-sufficient in the turmoil of the US automotive industry strike, has become the target of attack by Swedish unions. As the strike escalated and more industries joined in, Tesla CEO Elon Musk could no longer sit still.
On Thursday (November 23), Tesla commented on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying, "This is insane."
Leading the strike are 130 mechanics from Tesla service centers, affiliated with the IF Metal union. The strike began last month after Tesla rejected their demands for collective bargaining on wages and benefits.
Subsequently, the strike intensified, with dockworkers and car dealers refusing to cooperate with Tesla. So far, nine unions have joined the siege against Tesla.
Faced with the workers' continuous "uprising," Tesla initially responded with a tough stance.
Last week, Tesla mediator Kurt Eriksson told the media that Tesla Sweden had signed an agreement with the union with "no room for maneuver" and emphasized that this was a "direct order from Elon Musk."
For Tesla, Sweden is an insignificant market compared to its main markets in the UK, Germany, and France, and can be easily overlooked.
But when postal workers joined the strike, Tesla could no longer remain calm.
According to reports, postal workers have stopped providing mail and package services to all Tesla addresses in Sweden. Due to local regulations, license plates cannot be delivered to Tesla by means other than mail, and the Swedish Transport Agency cannot issue new license plates to Tesla.
This also means that new Tesla vehicles cannot be driven on Swedish roads.
"This (Swedish worker strike) is a huge cultural shock for Elon," said independent European automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt. "He has been doing everything possible to avoid unionization, but this is a big wake-up call."
Analysts say the biggest risk Tesla faces now is the participation of other countries, especially German unions, which may join forces with Swedish unions in a joint strike.
Although Tesla has opened a factory in Germany, it has managed to avoid collective bargaining with unions in the current wave of strikes. However, the influence of German automotive unions should not be underestimated.
Once German unions join, the operation of Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory could be in jeopardy, as the cars produced by the factory account for three-quarters of the German market.