A recent opinion poll released by Novus shows a majority of responders in Sweden are in support of an ongoing mechanics strike at Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) workshops in the country.
"A clear majority - or 58% of Swedes - believe the union is right to take the fight with Tesla," said daily Svenska Dagbladet, which commissioned the poll. "Only 20% of those who answered believe the union's industrial action is wrong."
Tesla, the American car manufacturer, has encountered strong opposition from unions and pension funds throughout the Nordic region due to its refusal to comply with the request put forth by the trade union IF Metall.
Members of IF Metall working at Tesla workshops have been on strike since October, leading to significant backlash against the company's stance.
The conflict has triggered solidarity strikes across the Nordic countries, an essential region for Tesla, and has led certain pension funds to divest their shares in the company.
Tesla has steered clear of entering into collective bargaining agreements with its approximately 127,000 employees, and CEO Elon Musk has openly voiced his opposition to labor unions.
According to a Novus poll reported by SvD, a substantial majority of Swedes surveyed expressed a decline in their trust in Tesla amid the ongoing dispute.
Novus CEO Torbjorn Sjostrom emphasized, "The support for the Swedish model is very strong," highlighting the sentiment that the Swedish labor market model heavily involves negotiations between employers and unions regarding working conditions and wages, with minimal government intervention.
Shares of TSLA are up 1.04% in mid-day trading on Monday.