Category: European Employment Rights

Sweden: Tesla Dispute: Electricians refuse to connect charging stations to electricity grid

Posted on April 6, 2024 By Tony Burke

The long running battle between IF Metall and Elon Musk’s Tesla in Sweden has escalated following the decision by the electricians union Seko not to connect Tesla’s newly built e-vehicle charging stations up to the Sweden’s electricity grid. Tesla is planning to build 35 new charging stations over the coming years

Since early March newly built Tesla charing stations have remained out of operation.

Seko is supporting IF Metall over the companies refusal to agree to a collective agreement for Tesla mechanics – in line with Swedish employment law.

“There will be no power at the charging stations as long as this conflict continues” , said Ann-Charlotte Kling, the chair of Seko Södra (Seko South) union. Seko is a member of GF which conducts collective bargaining in the construction sector.

Tesla had been able to bypass trade unions blockades – but the boycotting of new charging stations will prove difficult for the e-vehicle company to circumvent. In Sundsvall, where Tesla recently built a new charging station which is not in use municipal electricity company Sundsvall Elnät AB owns the electrical grid, all the lines and all the infrastructure which supply the electricity to the city.

Tesla Dispute Sweden: Management Says It Is Free To Decide On Union Recognition

Posted on March 20, 2024March 20, 2024 By Tony Burke

In a surprising press interview Jens Stark, who speaks for Tesla in Sweden told the newspaper Dagens Industri, that the Swedish management of Tesla, the e-vehicle manufacturer currently in a major dispute with the Swedish union IF Metall over union recognition and collective bargaining is free to act and can decide to sign a collective agreement or not.

This is the first time since the beginning of the dispute which has widespread union support in the Nordic Countries that the Swedish management have commented on the long running dispute.

Tesla has been hit by boycotts across Nordic countries with unions refusing to unload imported Tesla’s from ships,
supply chain companies servicing Tesla and providing parts are also being hit and threats of giant pension funds to withdraw investment in Tesla.

IF Metall’s lead negotiator Veli-Pekka Säikkälä said Stark’s statement came as asuprise. “This is news to us. When we entered the dispute, they were very clear that they do not have collective agreements anywhere in the world. And that if an agreement is to be signed, that decision must be made at the highest level”.

Säikkälä says that only recently the company reiterated its stance: “It is astonishing and at the same time, I think it is very good. If the decision rests with the company in Sweden, they cannot hide behind Elon Musk and the group management. If they don’t want to sign an agreement then they don’t. But now it is at least clear, that they do not want to do it and that it is not about them not being permitted to do so. That makes a great difference when we talk to them.”

EU Agrees Platform Work Directive – But Uber Says Status Quo Remains Unchanged

Posted on March 11, 2024March 19, 2024 By Tony Burke

Workers employed by companies such as Uber and Deliveroo working via digital platforms are set to obtain minimum wages, sick pay and other employment protections following the adoption of the Platform Work Directive by EU member states. However after much wrangling with employers and inside EU Uber one of the leading platform companies says the staus quo stays in place.

The European TUC has said that unions were successful in including the presumption of employment with the reversal of the burden of proof.

Instead of individual workers going through lengthy court processes to prove they are a worker, it will now be up to the platform companies to prove they are not employees.   The directive also recognises the role of unions in all aspects of the platform economy, including on issues such as algorithm management.

Despite calls for weakening these provisions, they were left untouched by numerous attacks confirming the strong need for the collective bargaining in the platform economy.

The number of people working through digital platforms is set to grow to 43 million people by the end of the year, according to the European Council.

Commenting on the vote, Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary of the ETUC, said:   “The decision means that millions of people working through digital platforms will no longer be cheated out of the minimum wages, sick pay, holiday pay and social security. It is not a moment too soon: the number of people working through platforms has risen by 34 per cent in the 800 days since the Commission launched this legislation.     Joining forces at European level was crucial to secure this legislation, which is the first of its kind globally. The strong commitment of workers’ allies in the European Parliament and Council got this over the line.   

“Member States have persevered and have seen through the platform corporations’ smokescreen. Today they have sided with workers. We salute the Spanish and Belgian Presidencies of the Council for their determination to see this legislation through. Now is the time for national governments to prepare for rapid implementation.”

However, Uber says the status quo remains unchanged despite the EU countries’ endorsement of the political deal.

“EU Countries have voted to maintain the status quo, with platform worker status continuing to be decided country-to-country and court-to-court,” an Uber spokesperson said.

“Uber now calls on EU countries to introduce national laws that give platform workers the protections they deserve while maintaining the independence they prefer,” they added.

The European Parliament will now vote on the agreement next month before it can become law.

Comment by the International Trades Union Confederation – click here.