Tesla is continuing its legal battle in Sweden as the automaker is now seeking a court order to bypass a license plate blockade by postal workers, which is part of an ongoing labour dispute in the country.
The labour dispute started in October 2023 when a small group of Tesla mechanics initiated a strike, demanding that the company agree to a collective bargaining agreement that would allow IF Metall union representatives to negotiate on behalf of the workers. Since then, the labour dispute has expanded significantly, with more than a dozen unions across Sweden, including dockworkers, electricians, maintenance crews, and postal workers showing their support, increasing the pressure on Tesla to sign an agreement.
In the case of the postal workers, their sympathy strike has blocked the delivery of license plates for new Tesla owners. In response, Tesla has taken previous legal action against the postal workers, unsuccessfully, but has now petitioned the Karlstad administrative court to order Sweden’s Transport Agency to release license plates by means other than the traditional postal service.
A court official confirmed Tesla’s request on Tuesday to Reuters. The Transport Agency has stated it will await the court’s decision before taking any further steps. Tesla has been advising car buyers to order their license plates directly, bypassing the postal service and mitigating some of the disruption, but Tesla is seeking a long-term solution with the order.
Sweden’s ST labour union appears unwilling to budge, arguing that Tesla should comply with local labour practices. “We do not believe it is too much to ask for large international companies to make certain adjustments to the systems of different countries,” the union said in a statement. Tesla, however, argues that its employment terms are as good as, if not better than, those demanded by unions.
