The conflict between Tesla's Swedish unit and the IFMetall union appears to have hit a new roadblock, with talks between the two parties on hold. IFMetall said its strike will continue until Tesla Sweden signs a collective agreement with it. Tesla, on the other hand, refused to sign the agreement.Investigator Kurt Eriksson contacted Tesla's legal representative, who revealed that Elon Musk had ordered the Swedish subsidiary not to sign a collective agreement with IFMetall.
The last dialogue between Tesla Sweden and IFMetall was on November 6, and Eriksson believes there is no reason for the two parties to arrange another meeting. He told local media that Tesla Sweden had no freedom to act. The company has previously stated that it will not sign a collective agreement, although IFMetall said that the company must sign a collective agreement.
Eriksson pointed to the unique situation that IFMetall and Tesla Sweden currently find themselves in. He said Tesla is an international company and its person in charge is in another country. IFMetall's strike against Tesla's Swedish branch has escalated and involved other unions, affecting the company's business in Sweden.
At the same time, most Tesla employees in Sweden are opposed to the IFMetall strike. Tesla recently stated that more than 90% of the company's Swedish employees did not directly participate in the union's strike and still insisted on going to work. In addition to Tesla employees, IFMetall's strike has also been criticized by Swedish Tesla owners.