Workers demand pay rise at Tesla

By Oliver von Riegen, dpa I Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023

 

GRUNHEIDE – More than 1,000 employees of the US electric car manufacturer Tesla have demanded better working conditions in a first-time action at the factory in Grünheide, just outside of Berlin, according to labour union IG Metall. 

A spokesman for the union said on Monday that they had put IG Metall stickers on their t-shirts during the night and morning shifts.

According to the union, the stickers read: “Together for safe and fair work at Tesla.” The action was to continue throughout the day.

Many Tesla employees complain about poor working conditions in talks with the union, according to IG Metall. They consider the workload to be extreme due to short production cycles, staff shortages and excessive production targets. 

Workers also pointed to serious deficiencies in health and safety at work, which led to sick leave of up to around 30% and a high number of accidents at work, according to IG Metall. 

Tesla rejected accusations by IG Metall of an “atmosphere of fear” as well as the union’s account of a campaign at the factory. 

The company also said it informed employees of a parallel union, and that 4,000 employees from morning and night shifts had already taken part in activities with the parallel union.

The district leader of IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony, Dirk Schulze, said, “If individuals demand improvements, they either get into trouble or nothing happens. But together it is possible to push through demands.” 

According to the Brandenburg Ministry of Social Affairs, at least seven serious occupational accidents have occurred at the Tesla factory since 2021, and Tesla employees were affected in three cases.

The ministry did not classify the numbers as unusual. The carmaker referred to rigorous checks by the authorities. 

There have been conflicting outside reports on working conditions at the Tesla plant. German news magazine Stern said there were 190 reportable accidents between June and November 2022. 

But the German Employers’ Liability Insurance Association for Wood and Metal (BGHM) said there were 16 such accidents per 1,000 employees in 2022, a much lower rate than the Stern report.

The plant was opened in March 2022. According to the company’s latest data, about 11,000 workers are employed there and the plant is to be expanded.