U.S. auto maker Tesla Inc should respect fundamental labour rights, including that of collective bargaining by labour unions, Norway's $1.5 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest stock market investor, told Reuters on Friday.

The electric vehicle producer faces a backlash in the Nordic 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.

Norges Bank Investment Management, which operates the Norwegian fund, is Tesla’s 7th biggest shareholder with a 0.88% stake worth some $6.8 billion according to LSEG data.

“We expect companies in which we invest to respect fundamental human rights, including labour rights,” NBIM said in a statement to Reuters when asked about Tesla’s conflict with its Swedish workers.

“In 2022 we supported a shareholder proposal at Tesla that asked the company to introduce a policy to respect the right to organise,” it added.

The 2022 proposal, which NBIM said was supported by 32% of those who voted, called on Tesla to adopt a policy of respecting labour rights such as freedom of association and collective bargaining. The company’s board recommended a ‘no’ vote.

  • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
    43·
    1 year ago

    That fund is no joke. They quite literally own more of the world wide financials than many countries. https://www.nbim.no/

    On a side note, the union in Finland also just joined the strike.

    Come along, Germany, join the Nordic solidarity.

    • BigDanishGuy
      15·
      1 year ago

      Come along, Germany, join the Nordic solidarity

      Unfortunately solidarity strikes are not legal in Germany. What we need are the French unions to join in. Have you seen the video of French firefighters going hand to hand with riot police? The French know how to party, we could use their noice in this.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        That’s at least partially because those particular firefighters are actually part of the French Army.

    • girlfreddyOPEnglish
      14·
      1 year ago

      That fund is no joke. They quite literally own more of the world wide financials than many countries.

      Too bad O&G-rich places like Texas and Alberta didn’t pay attention on how to manage their fossil fuel profits properly.

      • WashedOver@lemmy.ca
        14·
        1 year ago

        Are you sure about that? They did the text book play of taking the profits while leaving the taxpayers to deal with the environmental clean up and the losses. /s

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 year ago

        Oh no they did it perfectly. The rich people walked away with all the money and everyone else gets to beg for scraps from them.

  • Buffalox@lemmy.world
    172·
    1 year ago

    “We expect companies in which we invest to respect fundamental human rights, including labour rights,”

    What a load of BS, Tesla never respected unions, and will only accept them if they are forced. But they will still fight unions tooth and nail in every country unions aren’t protected by law, and even countries where they are. The dimwits already knew that when they bought in, now they just pretend to have standards they obviously don’t uphold in their investments, unless it gets attention. Same goes for the danish pension funds.

  • TenderfootGungi@lemmy.world
    8·
    1 year ago

    Musk only owns something like 12% of Tesla. It is time for the other stockholders to elect a board that will hire a new CEO.