A trailer with gleaming Tesla cars rolls in through the gates to one of Tesla's facilities in Huddinge.
Now we have delivery!
Strike guards Lennart Forsgren and Thomas Ibrahimsson have the task of keeping track of incoming deliveries and which companies are working for Tesla.
We hope for a collective agreement, but sometimes it feels a bit hopeless, we all know who owns Tesla, says Lennart Forsgren.
Considered carefully
That a strike is going on for so long is unusual. But it's not just any company that IF Metall has taken on, but an American company with an ideologically driven owner, also one of the richest people in the world.
We were prepared for it to be difficult to come to an agreement and considered it very carefully before we announced the strike, says Marie Nilsson, chairman of IF Metall.
How long are you prepared to hold out?
Until we have a solution in place. This is a marathon and it's about holding on and holding out. We have no economic frameworks that set a stop, but what's critical is how long the employees can cope, says Marie Nilsson.
Tesla has, according to Marie Nilsson, set up a system to fly in strikebreakers from other European countries. Moreover, they are advertising for labor, right in the middle of the ongoing strike.
We have never encountered such behavior before. When you announce a conflict, the other party usually respects it, she says.
According to IF Metall, there are still indications that the strike is having an effect.
We can see, for example, that the time for service has become longer. There is also a new facility in Kalmar that is ready but has not opened, says Marie Nilsson.
Locked positions
Tesla itself presents a contrasting picture in a press release about the past year. Which picture is true is hard to know.
Figures from Mobility Sweden do not show any "Tesla shame" among Swedish car buyers. On the contrary. In a situation where electric car sales have fallen overall during the year, Tesla has gone against the trend and even increased its sales somewhat.
Locked positions, therefore, two financially strong parties and no solution in sight. Strike guards Lennart Forsgren and Thomas Ibrahimsson will probably get cold feet this winter.
What do you say to Elon Musk if he drops by here?
We just want this to end. Sign the agreement so we can avoid standing here in minus degrees, says Lennart Forsgren.
