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IF Metall excludes union members who continue to work for Tesla Sweden
Amidst the tense atmosphere in Sweden, a notable portion of Tesla employees have continued to attend work as usual and refused to strike. These include some employees who are members of trade union IF Metall, which is currently clashing with Tesla Sweden over the EV maker’s lack of a collective agreement. These workers, as per a recent report, will now be paying a price.
As noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA), the trade union shared a rather difficult decision on Wednesday. As per Martin Gunnarsson, IF Metall’s union secretary, the union board has decided to expel members who are refusing to strike at Tesla Sweden. The decision was the result of a process that involved the union surveying which of its members continued to work at Tesla Sweden despite the strike.
“We have taken the decision to exclude a number of members who have broken the strike, members who are employed by Tesla and who, during the period that the conflict has been going on, actively broke the strike. They have simply worked as usual despite the ongoing conflict,” Gunnarsson noted.
Considering that IF Metall’s announcement of its survey was made in mid-November, it would appear that the process of surveying the union’s members at Tesla lasted over a month. It should be noted that Gunnarsson did not disclose how many members were actually expelled, nor did he share how many jobs were involved.
“We cannot go along with that. We don’t do that based on the premise that it’s about the integrity of both those who strike and those who don’t… Since the trade unions were formed once upon a time, this has been a super important issue. You must be loyal to your organization,” Gunnarsson noted.
When asked by the publication about what the affected IF Metall members would say about the union’s decision, the official noted that members who refused to participate in the organization’s anti-Tesla Sweden efforts were simply too afraid to strike themselves.
IF Metall: Several strike breakers have now been excluded – never happened before!
There are ~130 car mechanics at Tesla Sweden!
IF metall have claimed that they have >50% members (>65)
What we know is that very few actually strike, although IF Metall always tells the Swedish… pic.twitter.com/ZYaev8Jbfl— Nicklas ???T???♻️? (@NicklasNilsso14) December 21, 2023
“It must not be underestimated that they have been faced with a demand from day one from the employer. To either choose Tesla or to choose IF Metall. If you have wanted to strike, then you have behaved in word and deed in a way that means you are not welcome back at Tesla. Many people think collective agreements are good, and something you want. But you are simply too afraid to strike yourself,” he said.
Gunnarsson also admitted that IF Metall has found it quite strange that some of its members have continued to work at Tesla despite the union’s ongoing efforts against the company. The official also noted that the union’s decision to expel some of its members was a decision that was not made lightly.
“It is no national secret that we think it is very strange and unfortunate that some people act in this way. Strike-breaking has occurred in various forms during the existence of trade unions. On the other hand, in Sweden, there has been no similar strike-breaking, where the employer has urged the employees to continue working. Forcing an exclusion case in this way has never happened before. It’s not something you do with great joy,” Gunnarsson noted.
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Tesla is not sparing any expense in ensuring the Cybercab is safe
Images shared by the longtime watcher showed 16 Cybercab prototypes parked near Giga Texas’ dedicated crash test facility.
The Tesla Cybercab could very well be the safest taxi on the road when it is released and deployed for public use. This was, at least, hinted at by the intensive safety tests that Tesla seems to be putting the autonomous two-seater through at its Giga Texas crash test facility.
Intensive crash tests
As per recent images from longtime Giga Texas watcher and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, Tesla seems to be very busy crash testing Cybercab units. Images shared by the longtime watcher showed 16 Cybercab prototypes parked near Giga Texas’ dedicated crash test facility just before the holidays.
Tegtmeyer’s aerial photos showed the prototypes clustered outside the factory’s testing building. Some uncovered Cybercabs showed notable damage and one even had its airbags engaged. With Cybercab production expected to start in about 130 days, it appears that Tesla is very busy ensuring that its autonomous two-seater ends up becoming the safest taxi on public roads.
Prioritizing safety
With no human driver controls, the Cybercab demands exceptional active and passive safety systems to protect occupants in any scenario. Considering Tesla’s reputation, it is then understandable that the company seems to be sparing no expense in ensuring that the Cybercab is as safe as possible.
Tesla’s focus on safety was recently highlighted when the Cybertruck achieved a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This was a notable victory for the Cybertruck as critics have long claimed that the vehicle will be one of, if not the, most unsafe truck on the road due to its appearance. The vehicle’s Top Safety Pick+ rating, if any, simply proved that Tesla never neglects to make its cars as safe as possible, and that definitely includes the Cybercab.
Elon Musk
Tesla’s Elon Musk gives timeframe for FSD’s release in UAE
Provided that Musk’s timeframe proves accurate, FSD would be able to start saturating the Middle East, starting with the UAE, next year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated on Monday that Full Self-Driving (Supervised) could launch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as soon as January 2026.
Provided that Musk’s timeframe proves accurate, FSD would be able to start saturating the Middle East, starting with the UAE, next year.
Musk’s estimate
In a post on X, UAE-based political analyst Ahmed Sharif Al Amiri asked Musk when FSD would arrive in the country, quoting an earlier post where the CEO encouraged users to try out FSD for themselves. Musk responded directly to the analyst’s inquiry.
“Hopefully, next month,” Musk wrote. The exchange attracted a lot of attention, with numerous X users sharing their excitement at the idea of FSD being brought to a new country. FSD (Supervised), after all, would likely allow hands-off highway driving, urban navigation, and parking under driver oversight in traffic-heavy cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Musk’s comments about FSD’s arrival in the UAE were posted following his visit to the Middle Eastern country. Over the weekend, images were shared online of Musk meeting with UAE Defense Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Dubai Crown Prince HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. Musk also posted a supportive message about the country, posting “UAE rocks!” on X.
FSD recognition
FSD has been getting quite a lot of support from foreign media outlets. FSD (Supervised) earned high marks from Germany’s largest car magazine, Auto Bild, during a test in Berlin’s challenging urban environment. The demonstration highlighted the system’s ability to handle dense traffic, construction sites, pedestrian crossings, and narrow streets with smooth, confident decision-making.
Journalist Robin Hornig was particularly struck by FSD’s superior perception and tireless attention, stating: “Tesla FSD Supervised sees more than I do. It doesn’t get distracted and never gets tired. I like to think I’m a good driver, but I can’t match this system’s all-around vision. It’s at its best when both work together: my experience and the Tesla’s constant attention.” Only one intervention was needed when the system misread a route, showcasing its maturity while relying on vision-only sensors and over-the-air learning.
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Tesla quietly flexes FSD’s reliability amid Waymo blackout in San Francisco
“Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage,” Musk wrote in his post.
Tesla highlighted its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system’s robustness this week by sharing dashcam footage of a vehicle in FSD navigating pitch-black San Francisco streets during the city’s widespread power outage.
While Waymo’s robotaxis stalled and caused traffic jams, Tesla’s vision-only approach kept operating seamlessly without remote intervention. Elon Musk amplified the clip, highlighting the contrast between the two systems.
Tesla FSD handles total darkness
The @Tesla_AI account posted a video from a Model Y operating on FSD during San Francisco’s blackout. As could be seen in the video, streetlights, traffic signals, and surrounding illumination were completely out, but the vehicle drove confidently and cautiously, just like a proficient human driver.
Musk reposted the clip, adding context to reports of Waymo vehicles struggling in the same conditions. “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage,” Musk wrote in his post.
Musk and the Tesla AI team’s posts highlight the idea that FSD operates a lot like any experienced human driver. Since the system does not rely on a variety of sensors and a complicated symphony of factors, vehicles could technically navigate challenging circumstances as they emerge. This definitely seemed to be the case in San Francisco.
Waymo’s blackout struggles
Waymo faced scrutiny after multiple self-driving Jaguar I-PACE taxis stopped functioning during the blackout, blocking lanes, causing traffic jams, and requiring manual retrieval. Videos shared during the power outage showed fleets of Waymo vehicles just stopping in the middle of the road, seemingly confused about what to do when the lights go out.
In a comment, Waymo stated that its vehicles treat nonfunctional signals as four-way stops, but “the sheer scale of the outage led to instances where vehicles remained stationary longer than usual to confirm the state of the affected intersections. This contributed to traffic friction during the height of the congestion.”
A company spokesperson also shared some thoughts about the incidents. “Yesterday’s power outage was a widespread event that caused gridlock across San Francisco, with non-functioning traffic signals and transit disruptions. While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events,” the Waymo spokesperson stated, adding that it is “focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event, and are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve every day.”
Tesla is not sparing any expense in ensuring the Cybercab is safe
Tesla’s Elon Musk gives timeframe for FSD’s release in UAE
