Business Daily (BBC World Service)

Episode: The Two-Year Tesla Strike

Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Tim Mansell

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Tim Mansell, explores the ongoing labor strike by Tesla mechanics in Sweden, now reaching its two-year mark—the longest strike in modern Swedish history. The episode examines the causes, unique cultural tensions, and far-reaching implications of Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective agreement with Swedish unions, contrasting Swedish and American approaches to labor relations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: Tesla Mechanics’ Strike in Sweden

• Strike Anniversary: The strike began in late 2023, sparked by Tesla's refusal to recognize the trade union EF Metal’s right to negotiate a collective agreement on behalf of workers.
  (01:08, 02:33)
• Context: Collective agreements, covering roughly 90% of Swedish workers, set standards for pay and conditions and are central to Sweden’s labor peace. Strikes in Sweden are rare due to these agreements.
  (07:09)

2. Worker Perspectives and Motivation

• Early Enthusiasm: Mechanics like Yanis Kuzma and Adel Sefsefi joined Tesla inspired by its vision and innovation in electric vehicles.
  • “Most of us that started early in Tesla, we were also like big Tesla fans. We believed in the idea and the vision… so it was not only a job.” – Adel Sefsefi (01:27, 04:42)
• Shifting Culture: Over time, excitement gave way to frustration as management’s focus shifted to “just numbers and statistics,” and communication with workers deteriorated.
  • “There was no communication between the workers and management… And if they listen, there is no action or reaction.” – Adel Sefsefi (04:56)
• Grievances: Workers report arbitrary performance evaluations and lack of salary increases, despite going “overtime every day.”
  • “My last performance was like, Yanis, you are not reaching the Tesla goals and we can't give you no salary in this year… What kind of goals am I not reaching? If I stay overtime every day…?” – Yanis Kuzma (06:15)
• Call for Collective Bargaining: Instances of employees penalized for vague reasons (e.g., “wrong attitude”) amplify calls for formal negotiations and protections.
  (07:04)

3. Tesla’s Stance: Norm-Breaking and Union Avoidance

• Elon Musk’s Philosophy: Musk has consistently voiced opposition to unions:
  • “I just don't like anything which creates a lords and peasants sort of thing. And I think the unions naturally try to create negativity in a company and create a sort of lords and peasants situation.” – Elon Musk (01:36, 10:31)
• Company Actions: Tesla has replaced striking mechanics with new hires (“strikebreakers”)—a practice not illegal in Sweden but unprecedented and highly frowned upon within Sweden’s labor model.
  • “Basically, it hasn’t happened for the past hundred years… Tesla has openly said, if you guys go on strike, we will find other workers… They don’t use the word strikebreakers, but that’s what it means.” – Hermann Bender (14:02)
• Cultural Clash: The dispute underscores a collision between the Swedish collective agreement model and an American corporate culture that favors top-down managerial control.
  • “It’s also a conflict between the Swedish model and an American corporate culture which is more authoritarian and more managerial.” – Hermann Bender (14:29)

4. The Swedish Model & Institutional Responses

• Historical Context: Sweden’s labor peace comes from a near-century-old model: employers recognize unions’ right to organize, and unions respect employers’ right to hire and fire—keeping politicians out of labor negotiations.
  • “Employers and unions decided to sign an agreement… employers recognized the right of workers to organize in unions. And unions in turn recognized employers’ right to hire and fire.” – Hermann Bender (08:29)
• Stakeholder Views:
  • Employers and unions both wish to preserve the model, and most see the Tesla conflict as an exception, not a systemic threat.
  • “We prefer, and we would like to keep our right to negotiate freely with the unions and sign collective agreements.” – Matthias Dahl, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise (09:32)
  • “I don’t think it threatens our system… It’s in our own hands and I don’t see anybody who wants to change it.” – Matthias Dahl (10:15)

5. Union Strategy & The Progress of the Strike

• Union Tactics: EF Metal escalated from requests for negotiation to organizing a strike—a move that usually prompts most companies to concede. Tesla, however, has not.
  • “Usually it’s enough to make that threat. And then the company usually signs the collective agreement. But not this time.” – Marie Nielsen, EF Metal (13:21)
• Enforcement Limits: Not all mechanics walked out (initially ~50 of 130, now ~70), and Tesla has kept workshops open by hiring replacements.
  (13:21–14:02)
• External Solidarity: Other Scandinavian unions (dock workers, postal service, electrical workers) have blocked Tesla imports, license plate deliveries, and connections for new Tesla charging stations.
  (15:01–15:44)

6. Public Perception & Impact

• Impact on Daily Life: The majority of Swedish Tesla customers have not been affected; EV charging and servicing (save for a few holdout stations) continue largely unhindered.
  • “We can still buy our cars, we can service the cars, we can charge the cars. We are not affected at all.” – Tibor Blomhill, Tesla Club Sweden (16:31)
• Swedish Awareness: Most Swedes remain unaware the strike is still happening.
  • “Most of the regular Swedes I talk to are surprised that the conflict is still going on.” – Tibor Blomhill (17:04)
• Alternative Solutions: EF Metal suggested a third-party employment model (used by Amazon in Sweden), but Tesla has not responded.

7. Prospects for Resolution

• Stalemate: All parties interviewed (union, mechanics, Tesla advocates) see little chance of a swift resolution.
  • “I'm afraid this will be another Korean War… a conflict that just drags on and I don't see any quick solution to this.” – Tibor Blomhill (18:38–18:49)
• Union & Worker Endurance: EF Metal and the mechanics say they are prepared to continue as long as necessary, as long as there’s hope for progress.
  • “If I see that we are making progress, time is not an issue. But this is very important to see that we are going forward.” – Adel Sefsefi (19:25)
  • “We could continue as long as we have to.” – Marie Nielsen, EF Metal (19:44)
• Official Mediation Ends: In September, the Swedish Arbitration Service withdrew from the case, leaving the dispute unresolved and the parties “on their own.”
  (21:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Most of us that started early in Tesla, we were also like big Tesla fans… so it was not only a job.” – Adel Sefsefi (01:27, 04:42)
• “If I stay overtime every day, like two hours at least… and I was not only one who get no salary.” – Yanis Kuzma (06:15)
• “Tesla is not for everybody. If you are not happy, you… can just leave.” – HR Assistant, as recalled by Adel Sefsefi (05:34)
• “The reason… is that EF Metal have failed to get enough employees out on strike.” – Tibor Blomhill (17:15)
• “They don’t use the word strikebreakers, but that’s what it means… Tesla doesn’t care about norms. They see norm breaking as an ideal.” – Hermann Bender (14:02)
• “We could continue as long as we have to.” – Marie Nielsen, EF Metal (19:44)
• “The Swedish Arbitration Service… now, with no solution in prospect, [is] closing the case. In other words, Tesla and EF Matal are now on their own.” – Tim Mansell (21:03)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Speaker(s) | |-----------|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | 01:08 | Introduction to Swedish Tesla Strike | Tim Mansell | | 02:09 | Meet Yanis, Tesla Mechanic on Strike | Tim Mansell, Yanis Kuzma | | 03:59 | Adel’s Journey: VW to Tesla to Strike | Adel Sefsefi, Tim Mansell | | 07:09 | Importance of Collective Agreements | Tim Mansell | | 07:43 | Swedish Labor History & Model | Hermann Bender | | 09:32 | Employers’ View on Model’s Strength | Matthias Dahl, Conf. of Swedish Enterprise | | 10:31 | Elon Musk’s Philosophy on Unions | Elon Musk (archival) | | 12:39 | EF Metal’s Attempts to Negotiate | Marie Nielsen, Tim Mansell | | 14:02 | Strikebreaking Unprecedented in Sweden | Hermann Bender | | 15:01 | Broadening Support & Allied Union Action | Tim Mansell | | 16:31 | Impact on Tesla Owners & Swedish Public | Tibor Blomhill | | 19:25 | Workers’ Resolve to Continue | Adel Sefsefi, Tim Mansell | | 19:44 | EF Metal’s Willingness to Persist | Marie Nielsen, Tim Mansell | | 21:03 | Official Mediation Ends | Tim Mansell |

Conclusion

The two-year Tesla strike highlights a deep clash between Swedish collective labor traditions and Tesla’s individualistic, American style of management. With no end in sight, the standoff continues to test the resilience of Sweden’s famed labor model and illustrates the profound impact of globalization on local workplace norms.

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