Cleaners join solidarity strike at Tesla in Sweden

On 17 November at 12pm, cleaners organised with Swedish UNI affiliate Fastighets will be walking out and taking industrial action at four Tesla sites: Huddinge, Segeltorp, Umeå and Upplands Väsby. Workers organised with UNI affiliate Swedish Transport Workers Union have already been refusing to load and unload Tesla cargo.  

These solidarity strikes take place as negotiations between the trade union IF Metall and Tesla have ended without a collective agreement. While IF Metall has unsuccessfully tried to resume negotiations, Tesla announced that collective agreements are no way forward for them. IF Metal then took industrial action in favour of 80 Tesla workers in Sweden. 

They are going up against Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, as he tries to change the rules of the game in every industry and country he enters. But while he may refuse to negotiate a collective agreement, Swedish dockers have responded by refusing to handle Tesla’s import, and now cleaners by refusing to clean Tesla sites. This powerful act of solidarity with Tesla workers is about protecting the Swedish model, where collective bargaining ultimately sets working conditions. In Sweden, 88% of the workforce is covered by collective agreement. That’s why Fastighets is committed to support IF Metall in the conflict until an agreement is in place.  

“This question is fundamental to our successful Swedish model. For us, there is no doubt. If you want to work in Sweden, the collective agreement applies,” said Joakim Oscarsson, Contract Secretary at Fastighets.