Helsinki, Dec 7 (EFE) – The Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT) announced on Thursday its “full support” for the strike that Swedish mechanics have been maintaining since the end of October against the American electric car manufacturer Tesla.

The Finnish union decided on Thursday to join the strike and declared that Finnish dockworkers would not load Tesla vehicles destined for Sweden in all Finnish ports.

IF Metall, one of Sweden’s most powerful metalworking unions, declared the industrial action over Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective agreement for its workers in the Nordic country.

“It is a crucial part of the Nordic labor market model that we have collective agreements and unions support each other,” Ismo Kokko, president of AKT, said in a statement.

The decision follows similar support from Danish and Norwegian dockworkers.

According to Kokko, who is also president of the Nordic Transport Workers’ Federation, the Swedish union IF Metall has long been trying to reach a collective agreement for workers in Tesla’s workshops, which its owner, tycoon Elon Musk, opposes.

“Tesla and Elon Musk have an international anti-union policy in all Tesla factories. Tesla has also refused to sign collective agreements for its workers in Sweden. This goes against the whole Swedish labor system,” the statement said.

Trade unions in the rest of the Nordic countries have announced solidarity measures in response to the labor dispute between the electric car manufacturer and Swedish workers.

In addition to other Swedish trade union organizations, such as those representing dockers and postal workers, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and 3F, one of the main unions in Denmark, have joined the protests.

For example, the Swedish postal service, PostNord, has refused to deliver Tesla’s license plates, for which it was sued, but on Thursday a Swedish court ruled that the company could refuse to deliver the plates until the case is resolved.

In addition, a large Danish pension fund said Thursday that it had sold its holdings in Tesla because of the company’s refusal to sign collective bargaining agreements.

Tesla has no factories in Sweden, but has 12 service facilities and several garages, employing about 130 people.

Norway and Sweden are Tesla’s fourth and fifth biggest markets. EFE

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