Minister promotes tariff commitment from Tesla
Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD) has called for US electric car manufacturer Tesla in Grünheide to be bound by collective agreements. "Good work means good pay in particular," said Steinbach on Wednesday in the economic committee of the state parliament in Potsdam. "That's why we continue to campaign for such collective bargaining agreements." Companies bound by collective agreements - i.e. when the employer and the relevant trade union conclude collective agreements - perform better in terms of pay and quality of working conditions. "However, the state government cannot impose collective bargaining." The company and IG Metall would have to negotiate for this.
According to the Minister of Economic Affairs, he is in talks with the head of IG Metall and with Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil (SPD). He criticized comments made by IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony on the occasion of the car manufacturer's latest wage increase as unhelpful. Some of the district's comments were not conducive to supporting an atmosphere of mutual trust for talks, said Steinbach. "What arguments am I supposed to use here to generate a willingness to talk from Tesla if the comments here are so aggressive?"
Tesla had announced a wage increase for employees at the Grünheide plant. They are to be raised by 4 percent this year. There are also plans to increase the annual salaries of production employees by 2,500 euros from February 2024. Tesla CEO Elon Musk personally announced the wage increase in Grünheide at the beginning of November.
IG Metall claimed the wage increase as the success of an action week. Tesla rejected this. In October, IG Metall district manager Dirk Schulze accused the car manufacturer of not putting the safety and health of its employees first. According to the union, numerous Tesla employees complain about poor working conditions and an extreme workload due to short cycle times, staff shortages and excessive production targets.
Left-wing parliamentary group leader Sebastian Walter contradicted the Minister for Economic Affairs in the committee and opposed a diplomatic approach. "It's about you ensuring good working conditions in Brandenburg as well and not making yourself a spokesperson for the company," Walter said to Steinbach.
Tesla has been producing electric vehicles in Grünheide since March 2022. According to the company, around 11,000 people work there. The plant is to be expanded.
Despite the announcement of a 4% wage increase for Tesla employees at Grünheide this year and further plans for a significant salary boost in 2024, the union IG Metall criticized the company's treatment of workers, citing concerns about poor working conditions and high workloads. To address these issues, the Minister of Economics suggested the need for Tesla to consider electric cars as a sector that should adhere to collective bargaining agreements, enhancing the overall work environment and employee satisfaction.
Source: www.dpa.com
