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In Sweden, approximately seventy car technicians continue to confront one of the world's richest companies – the electric vehicle manufacturer. This labor strike targeting the American carmaker's 10 Scandinavian service centers has now reached its second anniversary, and there is minimal indication for a resolution.

One striking worker has remained on the electric car company's protest line since October 2023.

"It's a tough period," remarks the 39-year-old. And as the nation's cold seasonal conditions sets in, it's likely to grow even tougher.

Janis devotes every start of the week with a colleague, standing near an electric vehicle service center within a business district in Malmö. The labor organization, the Swedish metalworkers' union, supplies accommodation in the form of a portable builders' van, as well as hot beverages and sandwiches.

However it remains operations continue normally across the road, where the workshop appears to operate at full capacity.

The strike concerns a matter that reaches to the heart of Scandinavia's labor traditions – the authority of trade unions to bargain for pay and working terms on behalf of their workforce. This principle of negotiated labor contracts has supported labor dynamics in Sweden for nearly a century.

Today approximately 70% of Scandinavia's workers belong to labor organizations, and 90% are covered by a collective agreement. Strikes in Sweden occur infrequently.

This is a system supported across the board. "We favor the right to bargain freely with the unions and establish collective agreements," says Mattias Dahl of the Confederation of Swedish Businesses employer group.

However the electric car company has upset established practices. Vocal CEO Elon Musk has said he "opposes" with the concept of unions. "I simply don't like anything which creates a kind of hierarchical sort of thing," he informed an audience at an event in 2023. "I think labor groups attempt to create conflict within businesses."

The automaker came to Sweden back in the mid-2010s, and the metalworkers' union has for years sought to establish a collective agreement with the automaker.

"But they did not respond," states the union president, the union's president. "We formed the belief that they attempted to avoid or evade discussing the matter with us."

She states the organization ultimately found no alternative than to call industrial action, which started in late October, last year. "Usually it's enough to make a warning," says the union leader. "Employers typically signs the contract."

But this did not happen on this occasion.

Janis Kuzma, who is of Latvian origin, started working for Tesla in 2021. He claims that wages and conditions frequently dependent on the discretion of managers.

He recalls a performance review where he states he was refused a salary increase because that he "not reaching Tesla's goals". Meanwhile, a coworker was reported to have been rejected for a pay rise due to he had the "wrong attitude".

However, some workers went out in the industrial action. Tesla employed some one hundred thirty technicians employed when the strike was called. IF Metall says that today approximately seventy of its members are on strike.

Tesla has long since substituted these with replacement staff, for which there is no precedent since the 1930s.

"Tesla has done it [found replacement staff] openly & systematically," states German Bender, an analyst at Arena Idé, a policy organization financed by Swedish trade unions.

"It's not against the law, which is crucial to understand. But it violates all traditional norms. But Tesla shows no concern for conventions.

"They aim to be norm breakers. Thus when anyone tells them, hey, you are violating a standard, they perceive this as a compliment."

The company's Swedish subsidiary refused attempts for comment in an email citing "all-time high vehicle shipments".

Indeed, the automaker has given only one press discussion during the entire period after the strike began.

Earlier this year, the local division's "national manager, the executive, told a business paper that it benefited the organization better not to have a collective agreement, and rather "to work closely with employees and give workers optimal conditions".

Mr Stark denied that the decision not to enter a collective agreement was determined at Tesla headquarters in the US. "We have a mandate to make independent such choices," he said.

IF Metall is not completely alone in this conflict. The strike has been supported from several of other unions.

Dockworkers in neighbouring Scandinavian nations, Norway & Finland, are refusing to process the company's vehicles; rubbish is not collected from Tesla's Swedish facilities; while recently constructed power points are not being linked to power networks across the nation.

There is one such facility close to the capital's airport, at which 20 chargers stand idle. However a Tesla enthusiast, the leader of enthusiasts group Tesla Club Sweden, states vehicle owners are unaffected by the labor dispute.

"There's an alternative power point 10km from here," he comments. "And we can continue to buy our cars, we can maintain our cars, we can power our cars."

With stakes high on both sides, it's hard to see a resolution to the deadlock. IF Metall risks setting a precedent should it surrender the principle of negotiated labor contracts.

"The worry is how that would spread," states Mr Bender, "and ultimately {erode