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Comment by cycomanic | Hacker News Reader

Firstly postnord is a (largely government owned) private company, so employees are not state employees. For state employees, employees with sovereignty duties (e.g. police...) typically there are restrictions around strike action.

Maybe if the postal services had not been privatised (and employees loosing a bunch of privileges) I'd be sympathetic. But you can't have your cake and eat it too.

On a more general note I find it fascinating how many here are arguing against regulations and individual freedoms when it comes to restricting corporations, but immediately shout for regulation when workers want to use their rights.

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> On a more general note I find it fascinating how many here are arguing against regulations and individual freedoms when it comes to restricting corporations, but immediately shout for regulation when workers want to use their rights.

Infrastructure and communication with governments needs to be regulated and open to everyone, that is a basic freedom that has to be respected for a country to be free. If you have a road toll and refuse to service certain cars and thus efficiently putting them in a prison then I don't think that is a fair use of worker rights even if the road toll workers are in a private corporation.

> I don't think that is a fair use of worker rights even if the road toll workers are in a private corporation

You and I aren't Swedish. (EDIT: Nvm!) This is how the Swedish labor model has worked for decades. By all practical measures, it works.

This was a stupid fight to pick because it's unwinnable. If Tesla prevails in the courts, they will get hit harder by the political system. Driving a Tesla will become a political statement. I'm not sure if there is a good way to back down other than franchising Tesla's Swedish business to a local partner.

> You and I aren't Swedish

I am Swedish.

Stupid fight indeed, as it might inspire workers in other european countries (Norway, Germany) to do the same.

If Postnord is unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations, then their contract should be dropped, and another company should be used instead. Right?

Or is there only one mail delivery service? Or is something else the problem?

What am I missing?

Swedish Law was that plates could only be delivered by government owned Postnord.

The courts just ruled that Tesla is temporarily exempted from this law until the case is settled.

Postnord also has many plates in their possession, and tesla can not legally sell or ship the cars they are registered to. The court has just ruled that Postnord can hold on to these plates until the case is settled

So it's privatized with statutory exclusivity?

Wow that's... Wow.

I take for granted that private parties are equal under the law.

Postnord is a 100% government owned company

> Firstly postnord is a (largely government owned) private company, so employees are not state employees. For state employees, employees with sovereignty duties (e.g. police...) typically there are restrictions around strike action.

So the government owns the company, but the employees are not government employees?

Everything I said still stands.

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EDIT: Basic common sense says you can either be considered (1) a government organization with statutory exclusivity and legal responsibility (2) a private organization without statutory exclusivity or legal responsibility.

Sweden is letting Postnord have its cake and eat it too.

Yeah, I think it is whacky too.

The person you're talking to is mistaken, the use of Postnord is not defined in law, it's contractual. The Swedish government has a centrally negotiated contract with Postnord to do all of their deliveries, and Transportstyrelsen did not believe they were authorized to break that contract – even with the strike causing Postnord to not live up to their end. It makes sense to me that the court system was needed to decide that the contract in practice is void in situations like this.

* Largely government owned means 60% ownership by the Swedish government and 40% by the Danish government.

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