Tesla has given all of its workers at Gigafactory Berlin new, higher wages, which were not pushed by the German union IG Metall, which has been highly involved in keeping tabs on the company’s operations.
The wage increases come at a time when some German automakers are having trouble keeping the doors of some of their facilities open. Volkswagen plans to close at least three factories in the country, which has the potential to result in tens of thousands of jobs being cut.
Tesla announced the raises on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Earlier this month, Tesla made 500 temporary jobs permanent, bolstering the plant’s workforce and economic position as it trends in a different direction than German giant VW.
Tesla HR director Erik Demmler said:
This is further particularly welcome news for our workforce – especially at a time when many companies in the German automotive industry are talking about job cuts and plant closures.”
IG Metall has been at the center of nearly any criticism of Tesla and its workplace conditions. It has claimed that working conditions at the plant don’t leave time for “leisure, family, and recovery” and has said it has gained members from health and safety concerns at the plant.
Tesla has sparred with union organizations for years, and not just in Europe. The automaker was part of a major conflict with unions because of a refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement with IF Metall in Sweden. In the United States, the United Auto Workers union has pushed to organize at Tesla’s Fremont Factory.
UAW’s efforts to unionize Tesla ‘absolutely’ supported by President Joe Biden
Although Tesla CEO Elon Musk has offered for the UAW to come to hold a vote, the organization has never taken him up on the offer. Additionally, Tesla has fought several lawsuits that claimed workers were not allowed to wear pro-Union merchandise.
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