More drama is revealed as the dispute between Sweden's unions and Tesla now involves a supplier of critical components for the Model Y, where workers appear to be filing Tools supporting the IF Metall strike. They said they would not report for work or be assigned non-Tesla-related work until further notice.
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About 50 employees of the hydro extrusion in Vetlanda, Sweden, a subsidiary of Norwegian company Hydro, have reportedly joined the strike against Tesla over the weekend. Workers there have their own collective agreement, with some employees now affected by the strike, even though the company "is not part of the dispute," according to Swedish local newspaper "Vetlanda-Posten". The company is responsible for the delivery of aluminium profiles for the Model Y to Giga Berlin. According to the Automotive News Europe, he is the first Tesla supplier in Sweden to join in supporting the IF Metall strike.
"The workers are delivering parts to the Tesla factory in Berlin and, if this causes a disruption for them, we hope to force them back to the bargaining table.", said IF Metall's negotiating secretary Veli-Pekka Saikkala. He added that the association is ready to intensify actions until Tesla signs. "This battle is very, very important. It's so important that we can't let it go. It is important for us, but also for the entire Swedish labour market.."
However, the chief executive of Hydro Extrusions, Jonas Bjuhr, expresses concern about the potential negative impact the move could have on the company, telling Vetlanda-Posten that Tesla may quickly replace the accessories and choose other suppliers. "It's very frustrating to be in a situation where we have very limited opportunities to do anything" said Bjuhr."Of course, we want to protect jobs... and jobs in Sweden in general. That's the big concern here, that if it happens in the long term, it could have consequences that are bigger than what we are seeing now.“.
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Bjuhr added that Tesla may have already taken steps to prepare for the strike by sourcing additional suppliers from USA or the China, the only two regions outside Germany that produce the Model Y.
However, there is the possibility that such a move could turn against Tesla, as unions in the Norway, one of the largest electric vehicle markets in Europe, have announced that they too will stop unloading Tesla vehicles going to neighbouring Sweden at Norwegian ports. If German trade unions join in to show solidarity, things could get even more problematic. The Tesla factory in Berlin now produces almost thirty of the models the company sells in Europe.
Despite the small number of Tesla employees in the country, Sweden has caused a huge surprise to the famous anti-unionist Elon Musk, who has described the actions taken in the country as "crazy". Last month, about 130 mechanics in Sweden, who belong to the IF Metall union and service Tesla cars, went on strike after the company rejected their request for collective bargaining. Thousands of workers in Sweden have joined, from dockers to car dealers and now even postal workers, refusing to touch anything Tesla-related until Tesla signs the collective bargaining agreement with IF Metall.
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Tesla's supplier strike in Sweden for the Model Y is expected to have a significant impact on the production of the vehicle. This supplier provides critical components for the Model Y, so their strike could cause delays and problems in Tesla's production chain.
The strike may lead to a shortage of parts used in the manufacture of the Model Y, resulting in problems on Tesla's production line. This may lead to delays in delivering the vehicles to Clients and cause increased problems for the company.
In addition, the strike may affect the quality of the vehicles produced. The shortage of parts and the pressure to increase production may lead to bugs and problems in vehicle quality, which will require additional resources and time to correct.
Finally, the strike may have a negative impact on Tesla's image. Delays and problems in production may create anxiety among customers and reduce confidence in the company. This may have a negative impact on the sales and market appeal of the Model Y.
Source: electrek
