In a surprising press interview Jens Stark, who speaks for Tesla in Sweden told the newspaper Dagens Industri, that the Swedish management of Tesla, the e-vehicle manufacturer currently in a major dispute with the Swedish union IF Metall over union recognition and collective bargaining is free to act and can decide to sign a collective agreement or not.
This is the first time since the beginning of the dispute which has widespread union support in the Nordic Countries that the Swedish management have commented on the long running dispute.
Tesla has been hit by boycotts across Nordic countries with unions refusing to unload imported Tesla’s from ships,
supply chain companies servicing Tesla and providing parts are also being hit and threats of giant pension funds to withdraw investment in Tesla.
IF Metall’s lead negotiator Veli-Pekka Säikkälä said Stark’s statement came as asuprise. “This is news to us. When we entered the dispute, they were very clear that they do not have collective agreements anywhere in the world. And that if an agreement is to be signed, that decision must be made at the highest level”.
Säikkälä says that only recently the company reiterated its stance: “It is astonishing and at the same time, I think it is very good. If the decision rests with the company in Sweden, they cannot hide behind Elon Musk and the group management. If they don’t want to sign an agreement then they don’t. But now it is at least clear, that they do not want to do it and that it is not about them not being permitted to do so. That makes a great difference when we talk to them.”