How did the Swedish labor movement lose the longest strike in Swedish history? Jakob Mathiassen spoke with Swedish labor activist KG Wanngård

Strike picketers in front of a Tesla service center. 

 

On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the Swedish labor union IF Metall announced on its website that “IF Metall is suspending all industrial actions against Tesla’s Swedish subsidiary as of Wednesday, August 19, at 12:01 a.m. The reason is that Tesla has settled with all of the union’s striking members at the company. This means that the labor dispute no longer has any effect.”

Thus, the three-year struggle to secure a collective bargaining agreement at Tesla’s service centers in Sweden had been lost. This is a defeat for the entire Nordic labor movement, as the Nordic labor movement had joined the struggle with sympathy pickets, and Tesla does not have a collective bargaining agreement in Finland, Norway, or Denmark either.

In the days that followed, the media recounted the story of how one of the world’s largest corporations—owned by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk—crushed what is perhaps the world’s strongest labor movement on its own turf following the longest strike in Swedish history.

But that’s not the whole story. There’s also another story—about a top-down labor union that no longer appears to be an association of workers, but rather an office of consultants who have lost the ability to wage a successful labor struggle.

That story may not be very pleasant to hear, but it offers more hope for the future. Because it’s not about us being powerless victims of the immense power of the extremely wealthy—but about how we actually could have won the battle if only we’d had better generals, or perhaps no generals at all.

A Crucial Test of Strength

All over the world, political commentators, politicians, and union leaders turned their attention to Sweden when, on the morning of Friday, October 27, 2023, IF Metall called about 120 of its members—spanning seven out of ten Tesla service centers—out on strike. At the same time, the union stationed picketers outside all service centers across the country.

The conflict quickly became a symbol of the struggle between the global labor movement and the captains of capitalism’s new golden age: Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg, and the other bandits.

Pelle Dragsted tweetede: “Elon Musk picked a fight with Nordic workers. We´re gonna make him lose.” Og Bernie Sanders retweetede Pelles opslag med ordene: “Nordic workers have the highest standard of living on earth because of their strong trade union. They deserve our support.”

One of the many people who followed the news about the strike at Tesla with interest was retired union organizer KG Wanngård. KG has worked in the labor movement his entire life. He served as a bargaining secretary for the Swedish Commercial Employees’ Union from 1988 to 2000; later, he worked for the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) in the Stockholm region; and as a retiree, he has remained active as a lecturer on the topics of a well-organized labor market and the welfare state.

“I was very interested in the Tesla dispute as a truly unique dispute in Sweden, and I was also involved in the Toys R Us dispute back in 1995, where we managed to reach a collective bargaining agreement with another major American company,” KG recalls.

KG therefore showed up for the first picket line in front of Tesla’s service center and headquarters in Upplands Väsby, just outside Stockholm, on Monday, October 30, to witness the labor dispute. When he returned home from the picket line, he posted about it on social media and soon gathered a small group of longtime union comrades who decided they would participate in the picket line every Monday. The group called itself “Promenader mot strejkbryteri,” which translates best as “Walks Against Strikebreakers.”

“You don’t need a permit from the police to take a walk in front of a company’s entrance. You can walk wherever you want, and you have the right to carry a sign while you’re walking,” explains KG.

Since the first strike picket back in October 2023, the police have been called 25 times, and on two occasions they have taken KG into custody for disturbing the peace.

“But who is it that is destroying the Swedish way of life? Who is destroying the Swedish labor market model?” KG asks indignantly when I interview him about a week after the strike ended. 

Foto: KG Wanngård

A Strange Labor Dispute

It didn’t take long before KG realized that IF Metall was handling this conflict very differently than KG had expected after a lifetime of involvement in the Swedish labor movement. For one thing, it was almost exclusively IF Metall members who joined KG and the other Promenaders on the picket line. There were no workers present—neither the strikers from Tesla nor workers from other workplaces.

“At first, it was difficult to connect with the striking workers. They were completely disconnected from the blockade in front of the workplaces, and they apparently did not actively participate in the strike—at least not during the first year of the strike. After all, there weren’t that many of them at the beginning. There were 120 who had been selected to strike, but when it came down to it, no more than 40 actually joined the strike. Although more strikers joined over the years.”

Second, the strike was not effective. According to KG, Tesla very quickly filled the strikers’ positions with scabs. At first, the scabs were brought in from other parts of the EU, but Swedes also arrived, referred by the Swedish equivalent of the employment office. Therefore, the strike itself did not really have any effect.

"IF Metall did not want to physically block jobs, but they also did not want to psychological press the strikers by standing in front of the door and forcing the strikers to meet us. IF Metall stood about 150 metres from the gate, only our group stood before the door and spoke to the strikers, the supervisors and the police."

IF Metall rejects the criticism of the location.

"We put ourselves where it fit best. In addition, strike guards have talked to both strike breakers and the public," writes the association. At the same time, they consider that KG Wanngård does not have a basis for assessing the contribution of the Association to the workplace:

"With all due respect to KG Wanngård: He has no insight into how IF Metall has driven the organisation of this conflict. It is always very easy to criticise various things from outside. But he doesn't have the whole picture," writes the connection.

KG also experienced IF Metall as an ice cold against Promenade support. There was no support from the League. The group paid itself information material, signs and so on. "IF Metall only approached when there were complaints," remembers KG.

The only effective weapon in the conflict of sympathy

The strike was not effective, but IF Metall's strategy was to use the sympathy conflict weapon to win the conflict with Tesla, so a number of Swedish trade unions started a sympathy conflict against Tesla shortly after the conflict began.

Port workers in about 50 Swedish ports blocked Tesla cars, organized electricians refused to repair Tesla chargers, organized painters refused to paint Teslas, and organized postal workers refused to supply Tesla plates.

The conflict of sympathy also became international., en Norwegian, Finnish and Danish transport workers refuse to unload and transport Tesla cars to Sweden.

It was an impressive demonstration of the Nordic workers' movement, but it was not enough. Tesla managed to bypass the sympathy conflict by exploiting all the many gaps that have gradually arisen in the organisation. They also used resentment to the trade union movement, which has spread from the few capitalists to an increasingly large proportion of the population.

IF Metall itself points out that the Association has participated in many demonstrations and estimates that the strike has had broad support in the Swedish population.

Meeting with the strikers

IF Metall changed its strategy after the first year of the strike and now wanted the strikers to be on strike. This meant that KG and the other Promenades now regularly began to meet with the strikers.

"It was young men who had a certain determination that they wanted fucking agreement. We invited them, of course, to participate in our blockade in front of the gate into Tesla, but IF Metall said to the strikers that they should ask for permission before participating in our activities, and they were never allowed," remember KG.

Yet KG got to know several of the strikers and talked to them about their experiences with the strike. KG says:

"I don't have full insight into everything, but I've had many conversations with the strikers and got an insight into their frustration. Especially with the decisions being made elsewhere. Several of them have said that they did not receive information from the trade union, and if they received information, it was decisions that IF Metall had made without asking them. They felt abandoned. Some might think that the union was a fighting organization, that the members were at the centre - that those who were on strike would also be involved."

IF Metall rejects that the strikers were not sufficiently informed.

"We do not share the view that the information for the strikers has been incomplete. On the contrary, there has been close dialogue and contact with the strikers," writes the union.

IF Metall acknowledges however that some strikers may have experienced it differently:

"But of course we cannot ignore the experiences of the critics."

The strike pulls out teeth

The months passed and became years without the strike producing any result. As winter 2025-26 approached, everyone was getting tender and the great media attention had long since moved on. Back in the cold in front of the Tesla Service Workshop in Upplands Väsby stood a small group of freezing strike guards consisting of a few of the striking workers, an employee of IF Metall, who had drawn the shortest straw, and saw the Promenades, who were still the only ones who went very close to the entrance with their badges and flyers.

The striking workers had become a permanent part of IF Metall's strike guard after IF Metall had begun to require them to stand full time in the information tents in front of the Tesla service centers around the country to gain support for the strike. KG remembers:

"The strikers were otherwise happy that there was more activity, but they had not been asked or had been given a good explanation why they now suddenly should stand there.

IF Metall also seemed to be less interested in supporting the strikers. The strikers had previously had various small benefits which the union began to remove. And then came the trouble of pay. "

In April 2026 it emerged that IF Metall, on its own initiative, has paid tax and employer's contributions on the strike aid granted to the Danish Tax OfficeAlthough strike support must be tax-exempt in Sweden. IF Metall did it in the best sense, but it was not legal and all the money was repaid to the workers. It was about hundreds of thousands of kroner.

IF Metall explains to Solidarity that the tax was paid "to protect members' social rights." At the same time, the Federation recognises that the decision subsequently proved not to be based on the law.

It sounds very good from the point of view of the strikers, but now it turned out that IF Metall wanted its members to pay the tax refund to the union. IF Metall himself said it was to secure the workers' pension, the right to unemployment benefit and more, but it pissed off the strikers and got some to leave the union and the strike.

One of the few strikers who regularly appeared with name and image in the media, Jānis Kuzma, spoke to the professional network media Arbetet.se"that he will have a proper answer to what is happening now and a written assurance that he will get help when he needs it before he pays the tax money to the union."

IF Metall does not recognize the image, they write to Solidarity:

"We have always been very clear to Members that they should be kept completely harmless for any problems that might arise as a result."

Foto: KG Wanngård

Yoyo-strategien

29 May 2026 the following in the trade union medium Today's Arbete:

"Several striking Tesla mechanics in Malmö have returned to work at the request of IF Metall. But IF Metall does not want to comment on the information. The conflict is not over, says Jesper Pettersson, press spokesperson for IF Metall."

Further down in the article you could read this explanation of the shocking development:

"The idea of sending strike mechanics back to Tesla is not new. According to several of today's Arbete's sources, the subject was discussed during a major meeting back in March. The trade union management presented the idea of a so-called partial strike, which means that striking mechanics at Tesla temporarily return to work, only then to be called out for strike again.

In practice, it is a kind of yo strike where the strikers sometimes work, sometimes strikes. The idea is to shock Tesla, says someone who wants to remain anonymous. The idea was met with sharp criticism then, says several people. "

According to both today's Arbete and Arbeteret Several of the strike workers reported themselves out of the strike after IF Metall began this yoyo strategy.

KG Wanngård was also critical of the new strategy. He warned IF Metall that the strategy would not work and could end the entire strike:

"The strikers were not particularly involved in IF Metall's strategic considerations. They apparently received information about a so-called yoyo strategy, but they were not equipped for such a complicated strategy. It is young people who cannot resist pressure at work. They got the announcement of the new strategy, and then the management of IF Metall went on a summer vacation. They had no chance. They were thrown under the bus! They have been fighting for three years, and then they are treated like this!," KG exclaims despair when I ask him about the matter.

IF Metall explains the strategy with a desire to break the deadlock.

"We would break the deadlock and shake up the company," writes the association to Solidarity.

Total

During the summer of 2026 the 40 remaining striking Tesla workers had returned to their jobs at Tesla. But Tuesday, August 4th, IF Metall announced they were going to strike again. This appears to be part of the new, advanced yo-yo strike strategy. The problem was just that IF Metall had failed to involve the strikers in their strategic considerations. The article could at least bring the following interview with one of the striking Tesla workers:

"We haven't heard anything all summer, I'm shocked. Many thought it was strange that we should start working again, and now this is happening."

On Saturday August 8, the Arbete of the day was able to announce that Tesla had paid several of the strikers to leave the company and thus the strike. The professional news medium best comparable to the A4 newsletter at home, wrote among other things:

"Several of the members with whom the DA spoke testify that IF Metall has directly or indirectly encouraged them to leave their jobs.

- They (IF Metall, red.) do not say that they want to end the strike, but in various ways they constantly try indirectly to explain that "yes, we will end the strike."

Communication is said to have come from the local professional consultants.

- Every time we meet with our professional consultants, they say, "Maybe it would be better if Tesla tried to contact you and that you discussed possible solutions, maybe it would be better if you made an agreement."

IF Metall bluntly rejects the accusations that they have encouraged the Tesla workers to leave their jobs. "That's not true," writes IF Metall to Solidarity.

On Thursday 13 August, IF Metall announcedthat they "cease all professional actions against Tesla's Swedish company from Wednesday 19 August at 00: 01. The reason is that Tesla has free all the union's strikers from the company. This means that the conflict no longer has any effect."

Finally, according to IF Metall, the conflict of sympathy no longer provided a realistic opportunity to change the situation after the remaining strikers had been bought out.

"Our primary means of conflict no longer had any effect when we were without members. It is very difficult to see that continued conflict of sympathy could have led to an agreement," writes the union.

According to Sweden's Radio Tesla must have offered the about 80 striking IF Metallers around one and a half years' salary to leave the company. If the information is correct, each employee who was purchased received almost SEK 640.000 each. The total bill for Tesla, including employers' contributions, would then end up at approximately SEK 67 million. Again according to Swedish Radio, the government will conduct an investigation into the progress.

At home, KG is sitting today with a really bad taste in his mouth.

"I think only 20-30 people were left to buy out. Nor have we heard of the amounts of one and a half years' pay written about in the Swedish media, but some minor amounts.

It is no wonder, however, that they have taken the money, because they were supposed to meet strikers and employers alone in the workplace. They were young and alone and could not get hold of those responsible for IF Metall who had taken on holiday. IF Metall had not prepared the strike properly. The flag must be better than that! It must have consequences, "sugar KG.

Will it have consequences? Do you think the president of IF Metall will have to resign after this story?

"No, I'm afraid not. A club rapporteur from a large IF Metall workplace has said that the trade union has done as well as it could. There's no big opposition. I don't see any immediate reactions. What if this was about something really important - not just our working life, but, for example, a country struggle, and a coach had failed so badly. Then the coach would have been fired on the spot - but it does not happen in IF Metall."

KG takes a little time, and then he goes on:

"We'll see what happens, but it was an honor to fight with these people, the strikers and the promenades."

IF Metall did not disagree that the conflict ended in defeat. In an answer to Solidarity the Association writes:

"Things must be called by their proper name. The fact that Tesla, after three years of strike, still denies his employees' agreement is clearly a defeat."

At the same time, IF Metall stresses that the overall objective of the Association is to ensure that agreements apply throughout the Swedish labour market.

Updated September 2, 2026 with responses from IF Metall. To the question of what IF Metall would have done differently, if the League could start the conflict anew with the knowledge that you have today, the League replies:

"There's probably a lot of things we could've done differently. We have to draw many lessons from this conflict."

About the writer

Jakob Mathiassen Jakob MathiassenCurrently a trade union organizer for Enhedslisten, and formerly a concrete worker and organizer with 3F BJMF. Author of Concrete, Battlegrounds and Dreams and Dreams and Dus