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Across Sweden, approximately seventy automotive technicians persist to challenge among the globe's richest corporations – Tesla. The industrial action at the US automaker's 10 Scandinavian service centers has currently entered its second anniversary, and there is minimal indication for a settlement.

Janis Kuzma has remained at the Tesla picket line since the autumn of 2023.

"It's a difficult time," remarks the 39-year-old. And as Sweden's cold seasonal conditions sets in, it's likely to grow even tougher.

The mechanic devotes every start of the week alongside a fellow worker, positioned near a Tesla service center within an industrial park located in southern Sweden. His union, IF Metall, provides shelter via a mobile builders' van, as well as coffee and sandwiches.

However it's business as usual across the road, where the workshop seems to be in full swing.

This industrial action involves a matter that goes to the core of Scandinavia's industrial culture – the authority for worker organizations to bargain for pay and conditions representing their workforce. This principle of collective agreement has underpinned labor dynamics across the nation for almost a century.

Today approximately 70% of Scandinavia's workers belong to labor organizations, and 90% fall under by a collective agreement. Strikes in Sweden are rare.

This is a system supported by all parties. "We favor the ability to negotiate directly with the unions and sign labor contracts," states a business representative of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise employer group.

But Tesla has upset established practices. Outspoken chief executive the company leader has said he "opposes" with the concept of unions. "I simply disapprove of anything which creates a sort of hierarchical sort of thing," he informed listeners at an event last year. "In my view labor groups attempt to generate negativity within businesses."

Tesla entered the Scandinavian market starting in 2014, while the metalworkers' union has for years wanted to establish a labor contract with the company.

"But they did not respond," states Marie Nilsson, the union's leader. "We formed the impression that they attempted to avoid or not discuss this with us."

She says the organization ultimately saw no alternative than to call a strike, beginning on 27 October, 2023. "Usually the threat suffices to issue the threat," comments the union leader. "The company usually signs the agreement."

However not on this occasion.

Janis Kuzma, who is from Latvia, started working with the automaker several years ago. He claims that pay and work terms frequently dependent on the discretion of managers.

He remembers an evaluation meeting at which he says he was refused an annual pay rise because that he "failing to meet Tesla's goals". Meanwhile, a colleague was said to be rejected for increased compensation because having the "wrong attitude".

Nevertheless, not everyone went out on strike. Tesla had approximately 130 mechanics employed when the industrial action was called. IF Metall says that today around 70 of its members are participating in the action.

Tesla has long since replaced the striking workers with new workers, a situation that has not occurred since the Great Depression.

"Tesla has done it [found replacement staff] publicly & systematically," states German Bender, a researcher at Arena Idé, a policy organization supported by Scandinavian labor organizations.

"It is not illegal, this being important to understand. But it violates all traditional norms. But the company doesn't care for conventions.

"They want to be norm breakers. Thus when anyone informs them, listen, you are violating a standard, they see this as praise."

The company's local division declined requests for interview in an email citing "record deliveries".

In fact, the company has granted just a single media interview in the two years after the industrial action began.

Earlier this year, the Swedish subsidiary's "country lead", Jens Stark, told a financial publication that it benefited the company better not to have a collective agreement, and rather "to collaborate directly with the team and provide them optimal terms".

The executive rejected that the decision not to enter a labor contract was one made by US leadership overseas. "Our division possesses a mandate to take independent such choices," he stated.

IF Metall is not completely isolated in its fight. The strike has been supported from several of other unions.

Port workers in nearby Scandinavian nations, Nordic countries & neighboring states, decline to process Teslas; waste is no longer collected from Tesla's Scandinavian locations; and recently constructed power points are not being connected to power networks in the country.

Exists an example near Stockholm Arlanda Airport, at which 20 charging units stand idle. However a Tesla enthusiast, the leader of enthusiasts group Tesla Club Sweden, states Tesla owners remain unaffected by the strike.

"There's another charging station 10km from here," he says. "Plus we are able to continue to purchase vehicles, we can service our vehicles, we can power our electric cars."

With consequences significant on both sides, it is difficult to envision an end to the stand-off. The union faces the danger of establishing a pattern should it surrender the fundamental concept of negotiated labor contracts.

"The concern is that that would spread," states the researcher, "and eventually {erode