Swedish trade union IF Metall has announced a new tactical approach in its long-running dispute with Tesla, as workers continue their fight to secure a collective agreement at the electric vehicle manufacturer's operations in Sweden.

"The strikers in Malmö, Uppsala and Umeå have returned to work because workers want Tesla to show their cards. They've claimed that union members are welcome back to work at any time. That doesn't turn out to be true. Because when union members return to the workshops to work, they are immediately sent home. This is anti-union and completely exceptional in Sweden - that anyone who is a member of the union is not allowed to enter the workplace”, IF Metall stated on social media.

The conflict, which began in October 2023, centres on Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective agreement, despite collective bargaining being a cornerstone of the Swedish labour market model. The dispute has attracted significant attention both nationally and internationally, becoming a symbol of the wider struggle to defend collective bargaining rights in the face of growing anti-union practices.

The union has stressed they remain open to negotiations, but in the meantime the dispute remains active and that further industrial action remains an option if Tesla continues to reject collective bargaining.

The Tesla conflict has received widespread support from trade unions across Sweden and internationally. IndustriAll Europe along side a number of international and national trade unions have taken solidarity measures in support of IF Metall, underlining the importance of defending workers’ rights and collective bargaining. The dispute has highlighted growing concerns about attempts by multinational companies to operate outside established industrial relations frameworks and to undermine collective bargaining and workers rights. 

The conflict is about more than a single company. It is about protecting a labour market model that has delivered fair wages, decent working conditions and industrial stability for decades.

IF Metall’s strike on Tesla continues towards its third year - and the union is prepared to sit down and negotiate a solution at any time. 

“We stand in full solidarity with Tesla workers who deserve full respect of their most basic labour right to join a union and negotiate collectively." Said Judith Kirton-Darling, IndustriAll Europes General Secretary