The conflict between Tesla and the Swedish union IF Metall is far from resolved. Now Tesla is 'cheating' around with old scrap cars.
The conflict between a number of Swedish unions and Tesla has lasted for over a year. The unions, led by IF Metall, are trying to pressure Tesla to reach a collective agreement. In this regard, the unions have, among other things, blocked the delivery of license plates for new Teslas.
Something that the Swedish courts cannot prevent, even though Tesla has tried several times to make a lawsuit out of the problem.
To get around the blockade, Tesla has resorted to more creative methods. One of these involves scrapping cars and changing the company's mailing address.
Previously, Tesla sent the license plates directly to car buyers, who had to install them themselves. Now Tesla has found a new way around the blockade. The company is registering new branch addresses to which the Swedish Transport Agency will send the license plates.
The unions have tried to block these addresses, but Tesla just changes the address again. Last December, Tesla changed its address twice, and each time the unions responded with a blockade.
On January 22, unions blocked an address belonging to a car scrapyard in Norrköping. Tesla responded by changing the address to a consulting firm owned by a man who lives in Norrköping. This man is also a co-owner of the car scrapyard that has been receiving Tesla license plates in recent months.
Between December 1 and January 7, license plates for 125 scrap cars were sent from the Swedish Transport Agency to the car scrapyard in Norrköping.
Tesla has now changed its address again and is allegedly sending license plates to a co-owner of another scrap company in Norrköping.
This practice of using scrap cars and changing addresses raises questions about Tesla's commitment to complying with Swedish labor law.
The unions criticize Tesla's methods and believe that the company is trying to undermine the Swedish model of industrial relations.
Tesla has so far refused to comment on the matter to the trade union media outlet Arbetet .
It is unknown how long this conflict will continue and what consequences it will have for Tesla's activities in Sweden. But the conflict means, among other things, that the car brand cannot expand its network of Superchargers in the country.
The conflict has led Tesla to blame unions in Sweden for a pile-up of electric cars at a single charging station earlier this month. Read more about it here .
