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Tesla is facing a backlash in the region from unions and some
pension funds over its refusal to accept a demand from Swedish
mechanics for collective bargaining rights covering wages and
other conditions.
"As investors in Tesla, we recognise the company's great
contribution to the electrification of the transport sector, but
at the same time call on the management to seek a resolution to
the conflict," Rasmus Bessing, head of responsible investments
at PFA, Denmark's largest non-state pension fund, told Reuters.
The company has managed to avoid collective bargaining
agreements with its roughly 127,000 workers, and CEO Elon Musk
has been vocal about his opposition to unions.
Tesla, which has revolutionised the electric car market, says
its Swedish employees have as good or better terms than those
the union is demanding.
"PFA has chosen to be a co-signatory of a letter to the
management of Tesla, where we draw attention to the fact that in
Sweden and the other Nordic countries, there is a long tradition
of collective agreements being entered into in a large part of
the labour market," Bessing said.
"(This) model has been instrumental in creating prosperity and
stability in the region," he said.
Norway's KLP and Sweden's Folksam said they will also sign the
letter.
Norway's sovereign wealth fund, Tesla's 7th biggest owner with a
$6.8 billion stake, last week said it would continue to push the
company to respect labour rights such as collective bargaining.
The manager of that fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, was
not immediately available on Monday to comment on the letter
planned by other pension providers.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; editing by Terje Solsvik
and Jason Neely)
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