- The Tesla strike, a warning sign for the trade union movement in the Nordic countries
NITO's president, Kjetil Lein, believes that the Tesla dispute in Sweden has become a warning to the trade union movement far beyond Sweden's borders. "The company showed little respect for the Swedish model right from the start," he says.
Last week, trade unions from all over the Nordic region met in Stockholm. IF Metall, which organizes over 300,000 industrial workers in Sweden, shared disturbing experiences of strikebreaking and overriding of rights in the conflict they have been in with Tesla.
"The conflict highlights that the trade union movement must stand closer together across national borders than before. It makes a great impression to know that Tesla never moved, despite three years of conflict, support from other unions, investors and international players. According to IF Metall, the company showed little respect for the Swedish model right from the start, and quickly chose to meet the strike with strikebreakers rather than negotiations," says NITO's president.
The management of Tesla brought in employees from other workshops around Europe and deployed them where IF Metall had taken out members on strike. Many of these did not know that they were strikebreakers.
"Many people have taken it for granted that freedom of association, collective agreements and collective bargaining are established rights that are no longer challenged. That is not the case. Therefore, the trade union movement must work together both nationally and internationally to defend the institutions that have contributed to stable working conditions, high productivity and small differences in the Nordic countries," says Lein.
Facts about the Tesla strike
- The conflict started in October 2023 when IF Metall demanded a collective agreement for the employees of Tesla.
- The strike became the longest labor dispute in modern times in Sweden, when Tesla refused to enter into a collective agreement with IF Metall.
- In August 2026, IF Metall decided to call off the strike when Tesla had bought out all striking members from the company. Tesla is said to have spent SEK 70 million on buying out employees.
- The union stated that Tesla would rather buy out employees than give them safe and orderly collective bargaining conditions.
An organised labour market is no longer just a national issue
When SAS cabin crew announced their resignation and possible strike earlier this summer, the Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions received support from sister organizations in the Nordic region and the UK. This put a possible obstacle in place for the employer to send foreign workers to do the strikers' job in the event of a strike.
The experience from both the Tesla conflict in Sweden and the work of the Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions ahead of a possible SAS strike in Norway shows that the fight for collective agreements and organized labor is no longer just a national issue.
"When international companies challenge established rules of the game in one country, the trade union movement throughout the Nordic region pays close attention," says Kjetil Lein.
Strengthened Nordic co-operation
The President believes that in recent years, Nordic trade unions have strengthened co-operation on information sharing, solidarity work and political influence.
"It is a great strength that the trade unions in the Nordic Region have a high level of trust in each other and short distances to contact. When workers' rights are challenged, the organisations can quickly share experiences, coordinate messages and support each other. This is an important part of the strength of the Nordic model," he says.
Lein believes that the conflicts in both Sweden and Norway show that the battle over the rules of the labour market is far from over.
Stronger together
For NITO, this is also about ensuring that highly educated employees continue to have a real influence on their own pay and working conditions.
"No employee is stronger alone than together with others. This applies whether you are a mechanic, teacher, cabin crew, engineer or technologist. Organised workers and strong collective agreements are still the best guarantee for a working life where competence is valued and employees have influence over their own working day," says Lein.
Facts about NITO's international work
NITO participates in international work based on the basic idea of solidarity between employees across national borders and continents. Through this commitment, we both receive and share information, while at the same time developing collective and individual competence through knowledge transfer and exchange of experience.
The Global Rights Index 2025 shows a clear deterioration in labour rights globally. Many countries' governments are introducing stricter laws and measures that restrict trade union freedom, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike.
In May this year, the ICJ issued a statement on the right to strike. The United Nations Court of Justice (ICJ) states that the right to strike is protected by ILO Convention No. 87. The case has divided employers and employees internationally for decades. The trade union movement describes the decision as historic. The statement may be of great importance internationally.
NITO is a member of IndustriAll, UNI, PSI, ANE, Industry Employees in the Nordic Region and Engineers Europe, among others
