Tesla’s legal battle with Swedish authorities amid labour dispute

Tesla has initiated legal action in Sweden amidst a strike that has halted the delivery of its license plates.

The strike, called by the industrial labour union IF Metall, aimed to secure improved working conditions for its members, as stated in an official release by IF Metall. The union’s decision to take industrial action against Tesla stemmed from unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a collective agreement with the company over an extended period.

Initially confined to union members and Tesla’s employees, the strike expanded its impact to include all repair shops servicing Tesla vehicles in Sweden, along with those preparing new Tesla cars for shipment.

Adding to the disruption, Sweden’s postal workers joined the solidarity movement with striking service automakers by refusing to deliver license plates. In response to this impasse, Tesla took legal action against the Swedish Transport Agency, accusing it of a “discriminatory attack” and asserting that the Swedish government has a “constitutional obligation” to facilitate the delivery of plates to vehicle owners.

Tesla’s lawsuit aims to alleviate the delays in delivering vehicles to its customers and challenge the policy, which mandates license plates to be processed exclusively through the state-run postal company, PostNord.

On Monday, November 27, the Norrkoping district court ruled in favor of Tesla, granting access to license plates for its vehicles. The court mandated that Sweden’s Transport Agency must provide Tesla with the necessary license plates within seven days or face a fine of one million Swedish crowns (approximately £75,700).

Reports indicate that the strike involved 120 of Tesla’s employees and an additional 470 workers across 16 cities in Sweden.

This legal battle and labour dispute significantly disrupted Tesla’s operations in Sweden, highlighting the importance of resolving the conflict swiftly to ensure the timely delivery of vehicles to awaiting customers.

Source: logisticsmanager.com