In Germany, the largest local trade union of workers in the metallurgical industry IG Metall has declared war on the head of Tesla, Elon Musk, who is building his first European plant in Germany reports Bloomberg .
“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 for many years had a great influence on the German automotive market,” 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 put pressure on the company. During a protest in Berlin, members of the organization criticized the American electric car manufacturer for poaching 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 team.
“It is harmful for a car manufacturer in Germany to be in constant conflict with IG Metall. It has organizational strength, money and experience on its side. It can withstand a long struggle,” said Christian Bäumler, member of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. promoting the union agenda.
Tesla’s plant in the German region of Brandenburg should be the first European plant 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 raised concerns about disrupted water supplies in the region.