At present, the fierce dispute between Tesla and the Nordic regional unions has not shown any signs of a solution. Therefore, this electric vehicle manufacturing leader is recruiting a Nordic public policy expert.
The latest news shows that according to recruitment information on Tesla's official website, the company is looking for a full-time Nordic Public Policy and Business Development Manager based in Stockholm or Oslo, whose responsibility is to ensure that the political, regulatory, and financial framework in the Nordic region supports Tesla's mission.
Source: Tesla official website
In late October, IF Metall, the industrial workers union representing Swedish Tesla mechanics, launched a strike, initially affecting only a few local repair shops. However, within a few weeks, the strike quickly spread to neighboring countries such as Denmark, Finland, and Norway, and even many non automotive related industries joined in.
In the past five years, IF Metal has been trying to persuade Tesla to sign a collective labor agreement, but has yet to reach an agreement. In order to pressure Tesla, postal workers refused to deliver license plates, resulting in Tesla's new car being almost unusable in Sweden. Recently, several large pension funds in Northern Europe have also continuously sold their holdings of Tesla stocks, expressing their stance.
In court, Tesla has also suffered several consecutive losses. As is well known, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a well-known figure who opposes unions. Tesla executives told the media that there is "zero room for maneuver" in signing the agreement with the union, and emphasized that this is a "direct order from Musk.".
Nordic countries are the lightning rod for union issues
Daniel Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Analyst at Wedbush Securities, said that while Tesla's struggle with Scandinavia seems manageable, it is actually a "lightning rod" for the issue between the company and global unions.
Avis has long been focused on the technology industry and has always been the "majority leader" of Tesla. He told the media that Shawn Fain, the chairman of the United Automobile Workers (UAW), successfully made Detroit's three major automakers "submit to union demands, and the next battlefield may be Tesla."
Previously, UAW successfully signed record breaking contracts to increase salaries and benefits with three traditional car manufacturers, General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. At the end of last month, the organization announced a new offensive against 13 non union car manufacturers in the United States, including Tesla, Toyota, and BMW, with activities covering nearly 150000 workers.
Aives pointed out that if Tesla were to yield in Nordic Europe, "it could trigger a spreading bushfire that will eventually spread to UAW and the United States in 2024."
Who would shrink back?
Analysis suggests that the contradiction between Tesla, which has strong corporate power, and the labor principles of Nordic countries cannot be reconciled, indicating a high degree of uncertainty in the outcome.
George Kochanowski, a global supply chain expert and CEO of container manufacturer Staxxon, pointed out that the dispute could only have two possible outcomes: "Either Tesla abandons its cards (meaning to give up in Texas poker), or the Nordic union activity breaks down and is forced to make concessions."
He believes that unless European energy costs continue to rise, Musk may have to surrender, but he will not do so for now. He also pointed out that there is a significant gap in the ability of American companies to exert pressure compared to before, as legendary figures like Jack Welch no longer exist.
Kochanowski explained that General Electric, which Welch was in charge of at the time, could produce many products closely related to daily life, from plastic products to light bulbs. This traditional enterprise had strong bargaining power at the negotiation table.
In contrast, "Elon can only manufacture rockets, spacecraft, satellites that we cannot see or touch, as well as some cars."