Tesla has initiated legal action against the Swedish Transport Agency, replacing PUNCH with InfoStride News, after postal workers obstructed the delivery of license plates for new Tesla vehicles in Sweden, as reported by APO News on Monday.
The lawsuit, brought forth by Tesla, a globally non-unionized entity, claims that the government agency’s refusal to facilitate access to registration plates amounts to an “unlawful discriminatory attack directed at Tesla,” according to leading business publication Dagens Industri.
Mikael Andersson, the spokesperson for the agency, informed local broadcaster SVT that the lawsuit was filed early in the morning, and the agency had not yet examined the details.
“Tesla has decided to have the issue tested in court, which is their right,” he said. “We need to look at the lawsuit and Tesla’s reasoning in it. Reasonably, the district court will allow the Swedish Transport Agency to express itself in the case, and thus our attitude to Tesla’s reasoning will be clear. The District Court may then hear the matter.”
Background
Labor unrest commenced on October 27 when 130 members of the influential metalworkers’ union IF Metall initiated a strike at seven workshops across Sweden where Tesla’s popular electric cars are serviced.
The primary demand of the union is that Tesla sign a collective bargaining agreement, a standard practice for most employees in Sweden. Despite lacking a manufacturing plant in Sweden, Tesla maintains several service centers in the country.
Due to the strike, Swedish mechanics ceased servicing Tesla vehicles, and the postal workers’ union, along with dockworkers at major ports in the country, joined in solidarity with IF Metall’s demands.
This collective action aimed to exert pressure on Tesla to comply with the metalworkers’ requirements.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, expressed his frustration on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which he owns, calling it “insane” that Swedish postal workers were refusing to deliver license plates for new vehicles.
IF Metall asserts that Tesla Sweden has refused to sign a collective agreement, violating fundamental principles in the Swedish labor market. The union emphasizes that such agreements are integral to the Swedish model and seeks consumer understanding, citing their actions as a means to ensure safe working conditions for their members.
In response to the disruptions, Tesla has petitioned the district court to compel the Swedish Transport Agency to fulfill its obligation to deliver license plates.
The legal proceedings are unfolding amid heightened tensions between Tesla and labor unions in Sweden.
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