2023-10-13 18:28:00
Overview of the Berlin Gigafactory // Photography: Tesla
The climate is tense within the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin. While more than 1,000 workers are on strike, the manufacturer is trying to calm things down with a general increase. But that will surely not be enough.
Tesla is under pressure in Berlin
In Europe, Tesla does not have the same latitude as in the United States. When American employees tried to unionize at the beginning of the year, the brand put an end to the protest movement with layoffs. In Germany, workers are forcing the manufacturer to fold.
With the support of IG Metall, a powerful union in the automotive industry in Germany, German Tesla employees decided to rise up to demand better working conditions. They also denounce an overload of work. Tesla told the local press that the union “ exaggerated the situation ».
But faced with the scale of the union movement led by IG Metall, Tesla was forced to give in. The American brand has just announced that the salaries of 10,000 Berlin workers will be increased from next month. Last year, employees had already benefited from a general increase of 6%.
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Will a simple increase be enough?
According to the American brand, it is a “ normal process » which is not a “ direct response to the situation the factory is going through “. If Tesla is to be believed, the scale of the union movement in Germany has no connection with this announcement. A spokesperson for the company specifies that “ we regularly increase the salaries of our employees to ensure fair remuneration ».
According to Dirk Schulze, union leader at IG Metall, “ any increase is welcome, especially since salaries at Tesla remain well below the level of tariffs in the automobile industry in Germany. However, these announcements made by management do not erase the need to negotiate better working conditions for all workers. “. We can clearly see that the negotiations between Tesla and IG Metall are far from over.
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