Tesla is facing a wave of strikes in Sweden, with unions demanding higher wages and benefits. Elon Musk called the strikes “crazy” in a post on X. Now, the strikes are spreading to Denmark, where dock workers are also refusing to unload Tesla’s electric cars. After the wave of strikes in Sweden spread to Denmark, Tesla has become embroiled in an increasingly fierce battle with European unions. Dock workers in Denmark are refusing to unload cars from the American electric car giant in support of Swedish Tesla workers, who are demanding higher wages and benefits, sparking what Tesla boss Elon Musk called a “crazy” widespread strike. Jan Villadsen, chairman of the Danish 3F union, said in a statement: “Like these companies, the union movement is global in protecting workers.” The strikes will only affect cars destined for the Swedish market. Tesla’s factory workers in Sweden are on strike, attempting to force Tesla to reach a collective agreement on wages and benefits for 120 employees working in the service department in Sweden. Nine other Swedish unions have also joined the strike, with dock workers refusing to unload Tesla’s cars at the port and electricians refusing to repair Tesla’s charging stations. The Swedish postal service also joined the strike in November, meaning that new Tesla owners in the country will be unable to receive their license plates or register their cars for a period of time, a move that Musk called “crazy” in a post on X.
The Swedish Transport Agency has been ordered by a court to ensure license delivery or face fines, providing temporary relief. However, for Tesla, the labor dispute comes at a bad time as it works to maintain its position as the world’s largest electric car manufacturer. Sweden and Denmark are not the only problems Tesla is currently facing, as the electric car giant also faces a new wave of pressure from American unions. After signing lucrative contracts with traditional car manufacturers, the United Auto Workers union has launched a large-scale unionization movement targeting 150,000 workers at non-union car companies like Tesla.