Tesla
(ticker: TSLA) workers in Sweden are on strike protesting against the electric-vehicle company’s refusal to allow collective bargaining for wages and working conditions. The walkout has started to spread.
More than 100 mechanics went on strike last month. Later, dockworkers and car dealers joined in sympathy strikes. A strike by Swedish postal workers that began Monday also means delays to license plates being delivered to customers.
Elon Musk called the predicament “insane” on X, the social media site formerly knows as Twitter that he owns. But it shows the labor unrest illustrated by the United Auto Workers in the U.S. this year isn’t over.
Tesla
wasn’t affected by the UAW strikes because Musk is famously averse to allowing workers to unionize. The strength of unions in Europe may now put the company in a tough position. One of Tesla’s biggest factories is in Germany. Musk may have few options but to allow for unionization if he wants to keep operations running smoothly.
If he does, that may put pressure on Tesla in the U.S. The UAW has long pushed for unions at Tesla as it tries to expand its base beyond the traditional automakers of
Ford
(F),
General Motors
(GM), and
Stellantis
(STLA), the parent company of Chrysler.
Tesla shares were down 0.8% in premarket trading.
Stellantis
was up 1.3%, Ford rose 0.2%, and GM stock was up 0.1%.
Write to Brian Swint at [email protected]
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