Labour Market Clash - Union Strength in the Swedish Tesla Strike
(2025) SOCM05 20251Sociology
- Abstract
- The thesis investigates the Tesla strike in Sweden as a sociological case of trade union strength and a test of the Swedish model in the face of transnational corporate power. The central research question is how union strength is manifested in the conflict between IF Metall and Tesla, and how this conflict can be understood in relation to shifting power dynamics between labour and capital in a globalised economy.
The study is based on a qualitative research design, comprising seven semi-structured interviews with key actors in the conflict, including striking mechanics, regional union ombudsmen, and IF Metall’s national contract secretary. The analysis is guided by Kjellberg’s eleven dimensions of union strength, and is further... (More) - The thesis investigates the Tesla strike in Sweden as a sociological case of trade union strength and a test of the Swedish model in the face of transnational corporate power. The central research question is how union strength is manifested in the conflict between IF Metall and Tesla, and how this conflict can be understood in relation to shifting power dynamics between labour and capital in a globalised economy.
The study is based on a qualitative research design, comprising seven semi-structured interviews with key actors in the conflict, including striking mechanics, regional union ombudsmen, and IF Metall’s national contract secretary. The analysis is guided by Kjellberg’s eleven dimensions of union strength, and is further informed by Korpi’s power resource theory, Erik Olin Wright’s class analysis, and Beverly Silver’s global perspective on labour struggles.
The findings indicate that IF Metall demonstrates significant institutional, ideological, and international strength, particularly through widespread solidarity actions and a strong anchoring in the Swedish labour market model. However, substantial organisational challenges persist at the workplace level, especially in smaller workshops with low union density and among younger workers. Tesla's resistance to collective bargaining is expressed through both active strikebreaking and ideological positioning, which undermines the union's ability to escalate the conflict.
The thesis concludes that the strike exposes both the resilience and limitations of the Swedish industrial relations model in dealing with employers who operate outside traditional frameworks. The study concludes that union strength is not static, but must be actively cultivated through local engagement, strategic organising, and ideological mobilisation. The conflict raises urgent questions about how trade unions can adapt to a globalised labour market in which established mechanisms of influence are increasingly contested. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9211925
- author
- Hallström Nilsson, Jonathan LU
- supervisor
-
- Olle Frödin LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Dimensions of Union Strength
- course
- SOCM05 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- labour market, strike, trade union, Tesla, IF Metall, collective bargaining
- language
- English
- id
- 9211925
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-16 13:28:32
- date last changed
- 2025-09-16 13:28:32
@misc{9211925,
abstract = {{The thesis investigates the Tesla strike in Sweden as a sociological case of trade union strength and a test of the Swedish model in the face of transnational corporate power. The central research question is how union strength is manifested in the conflict between IF Metall and Tesla, and how this conflict can be understood in relation to shifting power dynamics between labour and capital in a globalised economy.
The study is based on a qualitative research design, comprising seven semi-structured interviews with key actors in the conflict, including striking mechanics, regional union ombudsmen, and IF Metall’s national contract secretary. The analysis is guided by Kjellberg’s eleven dimensions of union strength, and is further informed by Korpi’s power resource theory, Erik Olin Wright’s class analysis, and Beverly Silver’s global perspective on labour struggles.
The findings indicate that IF Metall demonstrates significant institutional, ideological, and international strength, particularly through widespread solidarity actions and a strong anchoring in the Swedish labour market model. However, substantial organisational challenges persist at the workplace level, especially in smaller workshops with low union density and among younger workers. Tesla's resistance to collective bargaining is expressed through both active strikebreaking and ideological positioning, which undermines the union's ability to escalate the conflict.
The thesis concludes that the strike exposes both the resilience and limitations of the Swedish industrial relations model in dealing with employers who operate outside traditional frameworks. The study concludes that union strength is not static, but must be actively cultivated through local engagement, strategic organising, and ideological mobilisation. The conflict raises urgent questions about how trade unions can adapt to a globalised labour market in which established mechanisms of influence are increasingly contested.}},
author = {{Hallström Nilsson, Jonathan}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Labour Market Clash - Union Strength in the Swedish Tesla Strike}},
year = {{2025}},
}