Elon Musk has decried a wave of “insane” strikes focused on Tesla workshops in Sweden, as workers target the US electric car manufacturer in a strike calling for collective bargaining rights.

In what has been portrayed as the largest fight in decades to save Sweden’s union model from global labour practices, the powerful trade union IF Metall has been leading a strike across eight Tesla workplaces in Sweden for five weeks.

It is the first time workers for the US carmaker have gone on strike and on Thursday, Musk, the tech billionaire and chief executive of Tesla, made his feelings clear, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “This is insane.”

  • @[email protected]
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    132 years ago

    Damn I’m sorry you’re getting downvoted. Every organization is susceptible to corruption. Bottom-up or top-down.

  • @[email protected]
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    442 years ago

    “Waaaah my precious market forces are working against me.”

    They’ve seen 50-100% payrises in many cases - unions are important.

    • @[email protected]
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      132 years ago

      Unions that are bottom up organizations are important, Unions that are beholden to the political class are just a way to control us.

        • @[email protected]
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          122 years ago

          Unions consisting entirely of Vampires and other human-flesh/blood consuming monsters of myth and legend are also bad.

          Because of the murders and the consuming of human flesh and blood.

        • @[email protected]
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          42 years ago

          Remember how the railroad workers trid to strike & congress shut them down? Unions in America are not like Unions in Europe.

              • @[email protected]
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                2 years ago

                I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other (though I think your binary framing of wildcat Vs corporatist is a little dishonest), but looking at the current Tesla dispute in Sweden, the effect is massive because it’s a cohesive, multi-sector strike. Seems like that’s a pretty effective case of “us” controlling “them”, no?

                • @[email protected]
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                  02 years ago

                  Yeah that the point the Swedish unions aren’t working in a framework that’s designed to give the political establishment control over the unions. If our ability to legally protest political matters could be vetoed by the people in power what effect do you think it would have on likelihood of effecting change through protect?

          • @[email protected]
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            2 years ago

            The government is the bit that is different. The union is the same. They were just threatened more effectively.

  • Neshura
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    692 years ago

    Let’s appreciate the insanity of opening factories in countries with some of the best unions and laws supporting unions and then doing a pikachu face when those unions go and decide to bust your kneecaps for essentially abusing the workers… Elon why did you even open a factory in sweden? It was obvious from the beginning this would happen.

    • prole
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      92 years ago

      Probably some insidious long term plan to weaken unions in Scandinavian countries.

  • @[email protected]
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    82 years ago

    No exactly the most constructive reply, mr. Musk. Though, you don’t really have one isnt? Not the one that will be great for both sides anyway.

  • MushuChupacabra
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    2 years ago

    What a bizarre statement, given how he’ll have to capitulate within a few weeks.

  • Jaysyn
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    412 years ago

    LOL, being forced to burn $44 billion on Twitter was completely rational.

  • Flying Squid
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    212 years ago

    “Strikes are insane!” declares man who thinks Jews aren’t white people.

    • Neshura
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      22 years ago

      wait what? wtf kinda logic is that? It’s a religion not a fucking phenotype

  • Hyperreality
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    2 years ago

    Yes, it is insane to go against unions in a country with a high degree of unionisation, where collective bargaining agreements are signed exactly because they prevent industrial unrest by ensuring the relationship between management and workers isn’t adverserial.

    I mean, I say it’s insane, but let’s be honest. Musk is yet another arrogant American CEO who didn’t do his research on how things work in non-domestic markets. It’s as much stupidity and arrogance, as it is insanity. Imagine thinking you somehow know better than companies like McDonalds (who did sign agreements with unions).

    Musk seems like the kind of guy who thinks about the Roman Empire entirley too much. So it’s surprising that he’s never heard of the expression ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’

    • @[email protected]
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      52 years ago

      Musk is yet another arrogant American CEO who didn’t do his research on how things work in non-domestic markets.

      Ironic, since he’s South African.

      • Hyperreality
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        2 years ago

        I know, I know. But American passport, American degree, America company.

    • @[email protected]
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      2 years ago

      Musk is yet another arrogant American CEO who didn’t do his research on how things work in non-domestic markets. It’s as much stupidity and arrogance, as it is insanity.

      He doesn’t need to do his research. His obscene wealth makes him an expert on everything, you see.

    • cannache
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      12 years ago

      Some people are more risk averse than others, some are more risk inclined

    • @[email protected]
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      2 years ago

      There are almost no minimum wage laws but 90% of workers are unionized or represented in some way. They strike very rarely because employers know unions are strong there but when they do, oh boy the whole country is behind the workers on strike.

      130 mechanics started the whole thing!

      • no banana
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        112 years ago

        It has to be said that the unions in Sweden do not want minimum wage because it would give employers another argument against them in negotiations. Even Elon uses it in countries that do have it.

      • @[email protected]
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        242 years ago

        Good for them. This abuse of workers collective bargaining rights is just divide and conquer. Unions cannot work if you allow them to disappear.