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Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

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Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#31
post #24

[flagged]

More than 90% of the labor in Sweden is covered by collective agreements. Tesla is breaking unwritten rules and is threatening the Swedish model, this is bound to meet heavy resistance from the Swedish labor in full force.

While the US regulates strikes and minimum wages by law, it is in Sweden regulated by collective agreements. As Tesla is refusing to sign such an agreement in negotiations, they themselves made these strikes inevitable.

If a Swedish company coming to the US tried to change fundamental mechanics of the system there without the support of its citizens there would be a legitimate public outrage and calls for action. Why would Sweden be any different?

Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#34
post #9
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also they forget that on average they are pretty benign. At least in my field they ask for quite tame things. And them being same union for everyone means that you don't really lose much to competitors. As they will have same rules in place...

Good point. Sweden has better institutions and labor laws to reduce friction and enable cooperation. Enterprise bargaining in the US is more zero sum game between companies and workers. Everything you give to workers, reduces competitive edge against non-union competitors. It's in company interest to fight unions as much as possible. In sectoral bargaining , unions negotiate same deal with their counterparts represen…

> reduces competitive edge against non-union competitors

Except for, ostensibly, employee satisfaction and quality of life?

Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#35
post #6
post #4

American companies often think that European unions are just stronger than unions in Europe. They don't realize that labor and union laws are different. Toys R Us tried the same in Sweden. They initially refused agreement and hired only non-union workers. But transport and logistics workers union and finance union started sympathy strike. Toys R Us didn't get deliveries and bank workers refused work related to compan…

Also they forget that on average they are pretty benign. At least in my field they ask for quite tame things. And them being same union for everyone means that you don't really lose much to competitors. As they will have same rules in place...

> Also they forget that on average they are pretty benign.

They are not malign as far as I’ve heard, no.

Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#37
post #25

Unions are a good thing, definately right now when the competition from "slave owners" in eastern Europe, China etc will exploit workers and outrun competition that way. For Tesla, with China's export of electric vehicle it would be a good thing to "set the bar" and prevent low cost workers from entering the market - hence securing Tesla's position in Sweden. And that's what the "Swedish model" of working is all abou…

Not necessarily. They protect exploitation of the some of the workers, but often bring about abuse and host of other problems.

Any kind of reference, please and thank you, to corroborate those affirmations?

Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#38
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are acting like organized labor! And all strikes are aimed at individual companies.

It's a cartel shaking down a company, if that's organized labor it should be illegal.

OK. What if a company wants to close a plant, because it's not profitable enough? It's also an organized (corporate) action, so it must be disallowed?

Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#39
post #4

American companies often think that European unions are just stronger than unions in Europe. They don't realize that labor and union laws are different. Toys R Us tried the same in Sweden. They initially refused agreement and hired only non-union workers. But transport and logistics workers union and finance union started sympathy strike. Toys R Us didn't get deliveries and bank workers refused work related to compan…

One of the key points to being unionized is the fact of solidarity with other union workers.

that is where the power in unionization comes from.

Literally, the entire purpose of unions is to give employees enough economic power to fight greedy CEOs, managers and boards

As it stands now, corporations are entirely too powerful that the only way to actually fight back is to create collective support structures

Re: Swedish unions strike: Blocks mail and package deliveries for Tesla

#40
post #25

Unions are a good thing, definately right now when the competition from "slave owners" in eastern Europe, China etc will exploit workers and outrun competition that way. For Tesla, with China's export of electric vehicle it would be a good thing to "set the bar" and prevent low cost workers from entering the market - hence securing Tesla's position in Sweden. And that's what the "Swedish model" of working is all abou…

Not necessarily. They protect exploitation of the some of the workers, but often bring about abuse and host of other problems.

Please remember that unions in Sweden aren't the same as unions in the US.
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