Swedish union IF Metall ends three-year Tesla strike after carmaker buys out strikers

Strike ends after buyout

Sweden's metalworkers' union IF Metall announced on August 13, 2026 that it was ending its strike against Tesla, with all strike measures to be discontinued on August 19. The strike, launched on October 27, 2023, when mechanics at 10 Tesla repair workshops walked out to demand a collective bargaining agreement, became the longest labor dispute in modern Swedish history. The action initially involved 120 IF Metall members across various cities and company branches. IF Metall, which represents 300,000 members, said Tesla had "bought out" all remaining striking union members, paying them to leave the company. According to the Swedish news agency TT, the buyout covered approximately 80 people. The number of severance payments and the amounts involved were not disclosed. Petersson explained that the strike was ending because there was no one left to strike.

Union's position

Simon Petersson, IF Metall's negotiator, said the union had lost the battle but succeeded in raising the issue of workers' rights both in Sweden and internationally. He accused Tesla of using methods banned in Sweden since the 1930s, including the systematic use of strikebreakers.

“We can conclude that Tesla is so opposed to collective agreements that it prefers to pay for the departure of unionized employees rather than guarantee them safe working conditions.”

IF Metall stated that its goal of ensuring collective agreements apply across the entire Swedish labor market remains firm, and thanked supporters in Sweden and abroad for their backing over more than three years.

Tesla's response

Tesla's representative in Sweden, Maria Lantz, expressed satisfaction with the end of the dispute, stating that the company "provides all standard employment conditions applicable in Sweden." Tesla, which has no production facility in Sweden but services vehicles there, fundamentally rejects collective bargaining negotiations and claims its employees enjoy conditions at least as good as those demanded by IF Metall. The company did not respond to a Reuters request for comment by Thursday evening. Elon Musk rejects calls to allow the company's more than 100,000 employees worldwide to unionize.

Conflict's spread and aftermath

The conflict spread beyond Tesla's own workshops through solidarity actions by a dozen unions, affecting vehicle maintenance, port operations, postal services, and other operations. IF Metall also extended the strike to third-party repair workshops that service Tesla models. Solidarity actions occurred in neighboring Nordic countries as well. Despite the strike's duration, no agreement was reached, and in September 2025 the Swedish National Mediation Office ended its mediation attempts between the parties.

Swedish model under pressure

Collective agreements negotiated by sector between unions and employers form the basis of the Nordic labor market model, covering nearly 90% of all employees in Sweden. The newspaper Svenska Dagbladet commented that the Tesla conflict ended "in the most American way possible" and warned that more technology companies may not accept the Swedish model. Separately, Germany's IG Metall is currently contesting the results of the works council election at Tesla's plant in Grünheide, Brandenburg, citing numerous intimidation attempts and unequal treatment of different candidate lists.