Tesla workers at the carmaker’s German plant are joining the IG Metall union over working conditions, the union said. Tesla workers have complained about safety risks, including extreme workloads due to understaffing and overly ambitious production targets, IG Metall said.
Staff shortages and inadequate workplace safety regulations lead to a high number of workplace accidents and often around 30% of workers take sick leave, the union said.
The plant, located not far from Berlin in Grünheide, produces the Model Y. On Monday, more than 1,000 workers showed up at the plant outside Berlin carrying stickers calling for “safe and fair work,” IG Metall said. About 12,000 people work in the plant.
On Sunday night, Tesla executives invited their teams to a meeting with “free food and a surprise” to discuss IG Metall’s presence at the site, saying: “We want to talk to you and your teams about the questionable methods and true goals of IG Metall “, according to a copy of the email seen by Reuters and cited by Automotive News Europe.
Dirk Schulze, a local IG Metall official, said: “Nobody in Germany has to hide their union membership. The German constitution gives all employees the right to organize in a union and openly defend it in the workplace – this also applies to Tesla .” The union said it generally doesn’t share specific numbers on company membership, but that Tesla has seen a sharp increase in the number of new members.
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2023-10-10 16:28:00
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