Tesla declared war in Germany

In Germany, IG Metall, the largest local union of metal workers, has declared war on the head of Tesla, Elon Musk, who is building his first European plant in Germany. Bloomberg writes about it.

“The union went into conflict with Musk, which would either undermine the ambitions of the American billionaire, or reduce the role of the organization, which had a great influence on the German auto industry for many years,” the agency writes. The reason for the conflict was the unwillingness of the head of Tesla to sign a collective wage agreement, which is standard for Germany. The document regulates the terms of employment of trade union members.

After Tesla refused to sign the agreement and ignored a letter from the union asking for dialogue, activists began to pressure the company. During a protest in Berlin, members of the organization criticized the American electric car manufacturer for luring away the head of the local Mercedes plant, Rene Reif. One of the union leaders urged Musk not to demonize the collective wage agreement, but to see it as a way to build healthy working relationships in the collective.

“It is harmful for a car manufacturer in Germany to be in constant conflict with IG Metall. This union has organizational strength, money and experience on its side. He can withstand a long struggle, ”said Christian Bäumler, member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, who promotes the union agenda.

Tesla’s factory in Germany’s Brandenburg region is set to be the first European facility for an American company. The first cars are expected to roll off the assembly line in the summer of 2021. However, during the implementation of the project, the company faced a number of problems. Locals and environmentalists have criticized Tesla for deforestation and also raised concerns about disrupted water supplies in the region.

Сообщение Tesla declared war in Germany появились сначала на supercar.ru.