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.”
Damn I’m sorry you’re getting downvoted. Every organization is susceptible to corruption. Bottom-up or top-down.
“Waaaah my precious market forces are working against me.”
They’ve seen 50-100% payrises in many cases - unions are important.
Unions that are bottom up organizations are important, Unions that are beholden to the political class are just a way to control us.
Sure, I guess.
Eating vegetables is good too - rotten vegetables are bad to eat though.
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.
You forgot to mention also the mess that needs to be cleaned up.
Remember how the railroad workers trid to strike & congress shut them down? Unions in America are not like Unions in Europe.
I’ll put my response aside and ask - What’s your point? Don’t unionise?
Wildcat unions > corporatist unions
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?
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?
The government is the bit that is different. The union is the same. They were just threatened more effectively.
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.
Probably some insidious long term plan to weaken unions in Scandinavian countries.
Elmo’s clearly the one whose insane.
Of course Elon would.
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.
Billionaires, the true Unskilled Worker
Worker is a bit of a stretch.
Fuck Musk.
What a bizarre statement, given how he’ll have to capitulate within a few weeks.
LOL, being forced to burn $44 billion on Twitter was completely rational.
Ikr, genial some might say
“Strikes are insane!” declares man who thinks Jews aren’t white people.
wait what? wtf kinda logic is that? It’s a religion not a fucking phenotype
You’ll have to ask antisemites.
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.’
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.
I know, I know. But American passport, American degree, America company.
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.
No, purchasing Twitter without knowing how to run it is “insane”.
Some people are more risk averse than others, some are more risk inclined
The sound of strong unions is music to my ears.
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!
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.
Good for them. This abuse of workers collective bargaining rights is just divide and conquer. Unions cannot work if you allow them to disappear.
