IF Metall leaves X for Threads: break with Elon Musk

The Swedish union IF Metall has just announced its departure from X (formerly Twitter) to migrate to Threads, Meta’s competing platform. This decision comes after more than two years of an intense conflict with Tesla Sweden, which still refuses to sign a collective agreement.

Marie Nilsson, the union’s president, justifies this choice by the platform’s evolution. But here’s the delicious paradox: leaving Elon Musk’s social media platform… to join Mark Zuckerberg’s. The irony isn’t lost on you, I’m sure.

A departure “not officially linked to Tesla” (but still)

Officially, IF Metall is not leaving X because of the conflict with Tesla. Marie Nilsson explains that the platform has simply changed, that “the standard has been reached,” making X less relevant for their communication objectives.

Jesper Pettersson, the union’s spokesperson, further qualifies this: the link with Tesla would be “indirect.” Let me decipher this linguistic diplomacy for you: when a union that has been at war with Tesla since 2022 abandons the platform owned by Tesla’s CEO, calling this link “indirect” is an Olympic understatement.

What strikes me in this statement is the obvious unspoken truth. It’s impossible to ignore that Elon Musk owns both Tesla AND X. The migration to Threads may not officially be a declaration of war, but the symbolic message is clear: we no longer want to enrich your digital ecosystem.

A look back at two years of union struggle

To understand this digital move, one must first grasp the extent of the initial conflict. Since November 2022, IF Metall has been waging a fierce battle against Tesla Sweden for a simple but fundamental reason: the company’s refusal to sign a collective agreement.

In Sweden, this is no administrative detail. The Swedish model relies entirely on collective bargaining between unions and employers. It is a pillar of the Nordic social system, a specificity that guarantees working conditions are negotiated rather than imposed by law.

The actions taken by IF Metall were not symbolic. Delivery blockades, logistical disruptions, particularly at the port of Trelleborg, where the brand image Tesla tries to build on social media contrasts sharply with the reality on the ground. IF Metall is not a small protest union: it is a powerful organization, accustomed to getting its way.

Except that against Tesla, the struggle continues. And it drags on.

Why X is no longer a strategic option for unions

IF Metall is not leaving X out of pure ideology, but because the tool no longer fulfills its function. And that function, for a union, is media visibility with the right audiences.

The platform’s evolution under Elon Musk

Since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022, the platform has undergone major algorithmic and editorial changes. Reduced moderation, controversial monetization of the blue badge, algorithm modifications favoring certain content… Marie Nilsson soberly summarizes: “the standard has been reached on this platform.”

Translation: X has lost credibility with IF Metall’s strategic targets.

A question of visibility with the right audiences

What matters to a union is not having followers, but reaching journalists, political decision-makers, and opinion influencers capable of relaying their message. However, these profiles are progressively deserting X.

Union pragmatism is relentless: why stay on a platform where Tesla’s communication on X remains active, but where influential relays are scarce? IF Metall goes where its targets are. Period.

Threads, a default choice despite contradictions

This is where it gets interesting: criticizing Musk while enriching Zuckerberg. Welcome to 2025, where ideological battles clash with the monopolistic realities of tech.

Because let’s be honest: Meta respects the Swedish model no more than Tesla. Mark Zuckerberg’s company has not signed a collective agreement in Sweden either. The union acknowledges this, embracing this contradiction with disarming frankness.

But here’s the thing: Threads offers what X no longer does. A growing audience, moderation perceived as more balanced, and above all, the absence of the CEO of the company you’ve been at war with for two years.

IF Metall also presents this migration to Threads as experimental, a test phase. The implicit message? If it doesn’t work, we’ll look elsewhere. What’s fascinating here is the pragmatic acceptance of the limits of activism in the era of technological monopolies: there is no ethically pure platform, only strategic compromises.

A precedent that could inspire other anti-Tesla organizations?

This symbolic migration could be just the beginning of a broader disaffection. IF Metall is not a marginal player: it is a powerful union, respected in the landscape of European unions.

If other union organizations, NGOs, or groups critical of Tesla follow this example, we would witness a fascinating domino effect. X would progressively become a handicap for communicating with certain activist or progressive audiences, while remaining essential for other segments.

For Elon Musk, the calculation is complex. His communication strategy relies heavily on his massive presence on X, where he has millions of followers. But if this platform becomes toxic for certain audiences, particularly in Europe where the technical arguments relayed on X by the brand must reach regulatory audiences, the paradox intensifies.

The evolution of this conflict remains to be seen. IF Metall is testing Threads, but is also exploring available alternative platforms to maintain its media pressure. One thing is certain: in this war of attrition between a traditional union and a technological disruptor, even choices of social media become strategic weapons.