The district court has given Tesla the right to collect its license plates after Postnord’s sympathy measures in the conflict between the car giant and the trade union IF Metall.
An expected announcement, according to civil law expert Mårten Schultz – who believes that in the end it could be a heavy blow to the Swedish state.
– There is an obvious risk that the state will subsequently suffer a claim for damages, he says.
On Monday afternoon, it was announced that the Norrköping district court gives Tesla the right to collect its license plates – after Postnord prevented the extradition. Tesla must be able to collect the plates from the manufacturer Scandinavian Motorcenter.
Tesla filed a lawsuit against the Swedish Transport Agency on Monday after the agent Postnord stopped the company from getting its license plates.
Provisional Decision: Must be issued within one week
– The state, through the Swedish Transport Agency, considered that the signs had been handed over, because they had been driven to Postnord. But Tesla complained that the signs did not arrive because of Postnord’s sympathy measure, and therefore requested that they leave the signs somewhere and not send them out into a black hole, says Mårtens Schultz, professor of civil law.
The decision is temporary and means that the registration plates must be handed out as before within seven days. If this is not done, the Swedish Transport Agency will be forced to pay a fine of one million kroner. But Tesla’s triumph in the district court is not something that Mårten Schultz believes will change the conflict between Tesla and IF Metall.
– The Swedish Transport Agency is not really part of the conflict and has no employees there who, as far as I know, are involved in any union action, he says.
“Already have arguments”
If Tesla ends up being right, it could be a heavy blow for the Swedish state. Mårten Schultz emphasizes that the state must maintain a neutral attitude towards all actors involved.
– If Tesla wins these first lawsuits, especially against the state, there is an obvious risk that they will subsequently suffer a claim for damages for the costs that this has meant for Tesla. It is still speculative, but I have noted that the representative for Tesla already here has arguments that concern possible liability at a later stage, says Mårten Schultz.