Tesla is facing increasing pressure from workers in Scandinavia who are demanding better pay and conditions. Denmark’s largest trade union, 3F, has announced that it will join the strike action by Swedish workers who are protesting against Tesla’s refusal to recognize their collective bargaining rights.
The strike affects about 300 workers at Tesla’s service centers and showrooms in Sweden. The workers are members of the Swedish union IF Metall, which has been negotiating with Tesla for more than a year without reaching an agreement. The union claims that Tesla pays its workers below the industry average and does not provide adequate health and safety measures.
3F, which in its Transport section represents about 20 workers at Tesla’s service center in Copenhagen, said it will join the strike in solidarity with its Swedish counterparts. The union also accused Tesla of violating Danish labor laws by not informing the workers about their rights and obligations.
“We have tried to talk to Tesla, but they have ignored us. They have not shown any interest in having a dialogue or respecting the Danish model of cooperation between employers and employees,” said Jan Villadsen, the president of 3F’s transport group.
Waiting for an answer from Tesla
Tesla has not commented on the strike action, but has previously denied any wrongdoing. The company has said that it respects the right of its workers to join a union, but that it prefers to deal with them directly rather than through a third party. Tesla has also said that it offers competitive pay and benefits to its employees.
The strike is the latest sign of labor unrest at Tesla, which has faced criticism for its treatment of workers in several countries. In Germany, Tesla is facing a legal challenge from the powerful IG Metall union, which wants to establish a works council at its Gigafactory near Berlin. In the US, Tesla has been accused of firing workers who tried to unionize and violating labor laws by Musk’s tweets.
Tesla’s labor troubles could pose a threat to its ambitious expansion plans in Europe, where it hopes to increase its market share and compete with established car makers. Tesla is also facing growing competition from other electric vehicle makers, such as Volkswagen and Volvo, which have strong ties with unions and workers’ representatives.