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☆ Tesla workers still make less than those at Ford and GM, despite recent raises
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Nora Naughton | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Even with a raise, Tesla workers don't make as much as union-represented workers. AdvertisementTesla recently gave some of its factory workers raises, but union-represented workers at Detroit’s Big Three will still make a lot more per hour. According to internal documents reviewed by Business Insider, new pay guidelines for Tesla workers were implemented on January 8. Why some Tesla workers aren’t focused on UAW payDespite the pay discrepancy, some Tesla workers previously told BI they’d be hesitant to join a union. But the German union IG Metall said last year that some Tesla workers at the company's Brandenburg plant had joined its union.

Persons: —, Tesla, Stellantis, aren’t, Elon, “ It’s, Musk, Metall Organizations: unionizing, UAW, NEW, Service, Business, United Auto Workers, Ford, GM, EV, National Labor Relations Board, NLRB Locations: Buffalo , New York, rehire, company's Brandenburg

☆ Tesla scores court win in Sweden in month-long battle with unions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Elon Musk has notched a victory against Swedish workers as a court ruled that Tesla can collect license plates for its cars from the country’s transport authority after postal workers refused to deliver them. Postal workers stopped delivering them to the company last week in sympathy with Tesla’s mechanics who began an ongoing strike in late October. Musk called the postal workers’ actions “insane” in a post on X last week. “Swedish wages and working conditions should apply to all workers in Sweden,” the body said in a statement on its website earlier this month. A company that comes to Sweden must adapt to what applies here.”Musk, the world’s richest man, has been vocal about his opposition to unions.

Persons: London CNN — Elon, Tesla, Musk, ” Tesla, dockworkers, ” Musk, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Sweden’s Transport Agency, Reuters, Transport Agency, Tesla, IF Metall, Swedish Trade Union Confederation, National Labor Relations Board, IG Metall Locations: Norrköping, Sweden’s, Sweden, Swedish, “, Tesla, Berlin, Germany

☆ Tesla strikes in Sweden are getting under Elon Musk’s skin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —It has taken nearly a month, but workers striking against Tesla in Sweden have finally drawn a response from the company’s famously anti-union boss. “This is insane,” CEO Elon Musk said Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter that he owns. Musk was responding to news that Swedish postal workers are refusing to deliver Tesla license plates, joining a wave of action in sympathy with mechanics who stopped servicing Tesla cars late last month. About 130 mechanics began their ongoing strike in October after their employer, a Tesla subsidiary in Sweden, announced that it would not recognize their labor union, according to Expressen, a CNN affiliate. Still, the strikes by Swedish workers may embolden Tesla’s employees in Germany, where it has a large plant manufacturing electric vehicles and battery cells.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, dockworkers, Tesla Organizations: London CNN, Tesla, CNN, IF Metall, National Labor Relations Board, Reuters, IG Metall Locations: Sweden, Swedish, United States, Buffalo , New York, Germany, Berlin, German Union, —, German, Wolfsburg

☆ German union Verdi calls for strikes at Amazon on Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics center in Lauwin-Planque, northern France, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 23 (Reuters) - German trade union Verdi has called on members to go on strike at five Amazon (AMZN.O) distribution centres across Germany on Black Friday, it said in a statement on Thursday. Strong demand thanks to bargains on Black Friday mean the day is usually one of the most profitable for online retailers like Amazon. "Amazon employees have decided to rename Black Friday 'Make Amazon Pay Day'", said Silke Zimmer, the member for retail on Verdi's governing board. "It's not for nothing that half of our colleagues have been with us for over five years," the Amazon spokesperson said.

Persons: Pascal, Verdi, Silke Zimmer, Matthias Inverardi, Louis van Boxel, Woolf, Emma, Victoria Farr, Miranda Murray, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Amazon, Bad, Thomson Locations: Lauwin, France, Germany, Koblenz, Leipzig, Rheinberg, Dortmund, U.S

☆ Tesla faces pressure in Sweden as workers at supplier to strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla has no manufacturing plant in Sweden but its electric cars are serviced at workshops across the country, where around 130 mechanics affiliated with Swedish union IF Metall began a strike on Oct. 27. Hydro Extrusions's Vetlanda plant makes aluminium profiles - aluminium alloys transformed into shapes, and is the first Tesla supplier in Sweden to down tools in support of the mechanics' strike. The carmaker told IF Metall on Nov. 6 it did not want to sign a collective agreement, the union said. "We want Tesla Sweden to sign a collective agreement... We want this conflict to be as brief and short as possible," IF Metall spokesperson Jesper Pettersson said. German unions have pressured the carmaker to implement a similar agreement for its 11,000 workers in Gruenheide, near Berlin.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Tesla, Jesper Pettersson, Marie Mannes, Victoria Waldersee, Johan Ahlander, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Swedish, IF Metall, dockworkers, Hydro Extrusions, Hydro, IF, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Vetlanda, Gruenheide, Berlin

☆ German union calls for strike at Deutsche Bank's DB Direkt over wages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Deutsche Bank AG FollowBERLIN, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Germany's Verdi union has called on workers at Deutsche Bank's DB Direkt GmbH subsidiary to go on a one day strike on Wednesday, it said, raising pressure in wage talks. "Employers left the first round of negotiations without an offer. This is an affront to the workers, who are suffering from persistent high prices in light of low wages," said Jan Duscheck, head of Verdi's banking group said in a statement. Writing by Madeline Chambers; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Verdi, Jan Duscheck, Madeline Chambers, Matthias Williams Organizations: Deutsche Bank, BERLIN, Deutsche Bank's DB Direkt, Employers, Thomson

The source, who declined to be named, did not say when production would begin. A general view shows the Tesla logo on the Gigafactory in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, August 30, 2022. At the same meeting, he informed staff of plans to build the 25,000-euro vehicle there, the source said. German union IG Metall said in 2022 that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under collective bargaining agreements at other carmakers. ($1 = 0.9315 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Rachel More, Bernadette Baum and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Musk, Tesla, Annegret, Elon Musk, Europe's, Metall, Victoria Waldersee, Rachel More, Bernadette Baum, Emelia Organizations: Staff, JATO Dynamics, Reuters, Volkswagen, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Berlin, United States, Europe, China, Gruenheide, Germany

☆ Tesla raises wages 4% for German workers amid union pressure, WSJ reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A general view of a Tesla's Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg building, a part of the electric car manufacture, in Gruenheide, Germany July 18, 2023. In October, Tesla said it will inform its staff this month of the level of the pay rise, adding it raised wages by 6% last year. German union IG Metall has previously said that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under the collective bargaining agreement. The EV maker, unlike other carmakers in Germany, does not have a collective bargaining agreement governing wages. Tesla and IG Metall did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Annegret, Tesla, Metall, Elon Musk, Urvi, Aurora Ellis, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Street, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Brandenburg, Gruenheide, Germany, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Some Tesla workers say they'd never work in a unionized factory, even as Ford and GM workers are set to get a major pay boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

While Elon Musk has spoken out against unions, a major Tesla factory reportedly has a UAW organizing committee that's speaking with workers. Some Tesla workers say they wouldn't join a unionized company and predicted the UAW would struggle to find footing at Tesla. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe United Auto Workers might have set its sights on Tesla, but some workers at the EV company told Insider they'd be hard-pressed to join a union. Even before the 36-day strike, Ford and GM already spent over $20 more per hour on factory workers than Tesla, according to analysts. Still, other workers told Insider they wouldn't jump ship even for a better pay package at a unionized company.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Shawn Fain, Tesla, Musk, they'd, Metall, Marquard, it's, you've, Fain, Elon Organizations: UAW, Tesla, Service, United Auto Workers, EV, Detroit automakers, Ford, General Motors, GM, Fremont, Elon Musk's, National Labor Relations Board, Buffalo New, NLRB, Bloomberg, Workers Locations: Fremont, California, Buffalo New York, rehire, company's Brandenburg, Tesla, Tesla's

☆ Tesla to offer German workers pay rise this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) said on Thursday it will offer a pay rise to workers at its German plant, where unions have said they earn below the industry average. The U.S. electric vehicle maker said it will inform staff in November of the level of the pay rise, adding it raised wages by 6% last year. Under last year's agreement, workers at Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE) were offered a 5.2% pay rise in June 2023 and a 3.3% pay rise in 2024 as well as an inflation premium for full-time workers of 3,000 euros ($3,160). German union IG Metall has previously said that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under the collective bargaining agreement. IG Metall said Tesla told workers of the upcoming raise at a series of meetings held at the plant this week.

Persons: Annegret, Tesla, Metall, Victoria Waldersee, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Benz, BMW, Metall's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Brandenburg, Gruenheide, Germany, U.S

☆ Tesla rejects union claims, reports of health and safety issues at German plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowBERLIN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) on Tuesday rejected claims by a German union and recent media reports that health and safety provisions at its gigafactory near Berlin were inadequate, stating that protecting workers' health was a top priority. On Monday, German union IG Metall said its membership numbers from Tesla workers were rising steeply amid concerns over health and safety as well as overwork. In a written statement, Tesla said workers received training on necessary safety measures, as well as protective clothing. The plant was subject to regular checks by local authorities that safety measures were being respected, it added. The company did not address the specific claims of the union or media reports regarding the number of accidents or workers off sick at the plant.

Persons: Metall, Tesla, Victoria Waldersee, Christina Amann, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Tesla, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, U.S, Brandenburg

☆ German union calls for better staffing at Tesla plant amid expansion plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, July 17 (Reuters) - Germany's top union IG Metall on Monday called for Tesla to improve staffing conditions at its German gigafactory as it prepares to expand, with the carmaker due to publish its expansion plans for feedback from the community later this week. The expansion plans will entail adding more jobs to the 12,000 planned for the first expansion phase of Tesla's first European product hub, of which roughly 11,000 have been hired so far. Tesla's plans are a clear commitment to Brandenburg as a location," IG Metall's Dirk Schulze said. "Before the expansion of the plant, the expansion of the working conditions of the colleagues in Gruenheide must now finally have priority." Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Victoria Waldersee; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tesla's, Dirk Schulze, Schulze, Tesla, Christoph Steitz, Victoria, David Evans Organizations: Metall, Tesla, Brandenburg, Citizens, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Brandenburg, Gruenheide

☆ German unions criticise possible Deutsche Bank job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, June 23 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) reported plans for possible job cuts at its German retail operations were roundly criticised by a union on Friday, foreshadowing tough labour negotiations ahead. "One can only shake one's head at Deutsche Bank, once again," Stephan Szukalski, chairman of the DBV bank union, said as Claudio de Sanctis prepares to take over as head of the German retail business on July 1. Reuters GraphicsDeutsche Bank declined to comment on any job cut plans or the union reaction to reports of them. The reduction in retail jobs is in the planning phase and still subject to discussions with unions and worker representatives, Reuters has reported. Deutsche Bank has in the past announced job cuts that never materialized.

Persons: Stephan Szukalski, Claudio de Sanctis, Szukalski, Verdi, Tom Sims, Friederike Heine, Alexander Smith Organizations: Deutsche, Deutsche Bank, Reuters Graphics Deutsche Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany's

☆ Dutch watchdog looking into alleged Tesla data breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —The data protection watchdog for the Netherlands said on Friday it was aware of possible Tesla data protection breaches, but it was too early for further comment. Germany’s Handelsblatt reported on Thursday that Elon Musk’s Tesla had allegedly failed to adequately protect data from customers, employees and business partners, citing 100 gigabytes of confidential data leaked by a whistleblower. Handelsblatt said Tesla notified the Dutch authorities about the breach, but the AP spokesperson said they were not aware if the company had made any representations to the agency. Tesla was not immediately available for comment on Friday on the Handelsblatt report, which said customer data could be found “in abundance” in a data set labelled “Tesla Files”. The data protection office in Brandenburg, which is home to Tesla’s European gigafactory, described the data leak as “massive”.

☆ German union announces nationwide transport strike for Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Germany's EVG union announced on Wednesday a nationwide transport strike for Friday, with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn among the companies impacted. The strike will affect 50 companies and run from 3 am (0100 GMT) until 11 am (0900 GMT), the railway and transport union said. The Verdi union has also called on security control workers to strike at three airports on Thursday and Friday. The EVG, which is negotiating on behalf of 230,000 workers, is seeking a 12 % wage increase or at least an additional 650 euros per month. The state-owned Deutsche Bahn has offered 5% more and one-off payments of up to 2,500 euros.

The Verdi union is negotiating on behalf of around 2.5 million employees in the public sector, including in public transport and at airports. Railway and transport union EVG negotiates for around 230,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) and bus companies. Verdi has called on around 120,000 employees in the transport and infrastructure sectors, including ground and air traffic service providers, shipping, motorways and municipal ports, to join the strikes. We want a negotiable offer," said Martin Burkert, the chairman of the EVG union, which represents workers at 50 transport companies, including railway operator Deutsche Bahn. German airport association ADV also condemned the strikes expected to hit around 380,000 air travellers on Monday as all airports across Germany, except Berlin, would come to a virtual standstill.

☆ Flights cancelled in fresh round of strikes at German airports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Workers strike, after German trade union Verdi called on workers at Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen airports to go on a 24-hour strike, in Frankfurt, Germany February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Heiko BeckerBERLIN, March 17 (Reuters) - Strikes at four German airports led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Friday in the latest bout of industrial action to disrupt travel plans in recent months. German union Verdi called on security and ground handling staff at airports in Duesseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Baden-Baden to strike over pay and working conditions. Cologne/Bonn Airport said that 144 flights were cancelled as a result, while Duesseldorf Airport said earlier in the week it was working on a "significantly reduced flight schedule". "No take-offs and landings are possible all day due to the Verdi strike," Stuttgart Airport said in a statement, calling on passengers not to travel to the airport.

☆ German union calls on Berlin airport security personnel to strike on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, March 11 (Reuters) - Germany's Verdi trade union has called for a strike of security personnel at Berlin's airport on March 13 to start in the early hours of the morning, which it said would likely cause longer queues for passengers or flight cancellations. The services sector trade union said it was calling for the strike due to disputes over remuneration for working at night, weekends and on bank holidays that had been going on for years. "Verdi calls for appropriate pay for flight security personnel who are working at unfavorable times," it said in a statement. "Supplements have not been improved since 2006, and we have been on and off negotiating a raise ever since 2013". Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Christian Ruettger; Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Wolfgang RattaySummarySummary Companies Volkswagen China chief toured Xinjiang plant on Feb 16-17Carmaker contractually bound to plant until 2030Company notes 'more repressive approach' in region since 2015No indication of forced labour on visit - China chiefPlant no longer assembling cars, 65% staff cutBERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is contractually committed to its plant in Xinjiang until 2030, it said on Tuesday, after its China chief made the first visit by senior management to the plant in mid-February and said he saw no signs of forced labour. Ralf Brandstaetter, who has headed the carmaker's China operations since the middle of last year, spent 1-1/2 days on Feb. 16-17 touring the facility with Volkswagen's compliance and external relations chief in China. I can try and verify the facts [from joint venture partner SAIC], and that's what I did. China has strenuously denied any abuses in Xinjiang. Around 190 workers had also undertaken retraining and qualification programmes at other SAIC plants across China.

☆ Travel nightmares in Europe continue after a strike at German airports leads to thousands of cancellations Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Workers at airports including Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt went on strike Friday. After an IT outage Wednesday, this is the latest nightmare for German airline Lufthansa. Workers at seven German airports, including Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg, took collective action Friday, according to CNN. The full-day strike halted Lufthansa's operations in Frankfurt and Munich Friday, affecting thousands of would-be passengers. In all, more than 2,000 flights were canceled on affected airlines, according to CNN, interrupting travel for more than 295,000 people.

☆ German union opposes Bayer split after CEO departure - taz newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Germany's IGBCE union opposes any splitting-up of Bayer after the departure of its chief executive and warned that the company should not bow to pressure from hedge fund activism, taz newspaper reported on Thursday. "From the point of view of the employees, Bayer with its three pillars is perfectly positioned for the challenges of the future," said IGBCE executive board member Francesco Grioli, who is also a member of the supervisory board at Bayer. The company currently has three divisions - pharmaceuticals, consumer health and crop science. "You can only manage the transformation of the industry with a corporate policy based on risk diversification and sustainability - not on hedge fund activism," Grioli told taz. Bayer announced on Wednesday that it was replacing its CEO early, recruiting the former head of Roche's pharmaceuticals business, as investor criticism over the company’s lacklustre share price grew.

☆ German labour representative says Ford execs have offered talks on restructuring plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ford said on Jan. 20 that its planned shift to electric vehicle (EV) production will require unspecified structural changes, giving rise to fears of job cuts at its German production sites. Ford committed to an all-electric lineup in Europe by 2030 and its U.S. leadership has repeatedly flagged that EVs require less labour. German union officials said on Wednesday that Ford would decide by mid-February how many jobs to cut in Europe. "Ford management has indicated their willingness to talk," Benjamin Gruschka, who is affiliated with trade union IG Metall, told a media briefing in Cologne. He said no date for talks had been agreed and that Ford had yet to give details on what their restructuring plan entails.

☆ GM, Ford must convince investors they can profit as prices fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Already there are signs the Detroit automakers are scaling back spending to offset competitive and economic pressure. GM and Ford both rely on sales of pickup trucks and SUVs in the United States for the bulk of their global profits. The risk to the Detroit automakers' profitability would be a challenge in the best of times. But now, GM and Ford must factor in forecasts for a slowdown, or even a recession, in the U.S. economy. The Model Y SUV competes with Ford's Mustang Mach-E, GM's Cadillac Lyriq EV, and with combustion SUVs the Detroit automakers sell.

The future of the Saarlouis site has been unclear since last June when Ford picked a site in Spain to assemble its next-generation electric vehicle (EV) over the German plant, which will stop producing its current model, the Ford Focus, from 2025. Separately, union representatives for Ford's largest German site in Cologne will meet with Ford's management on Saturday to negotiate on planned job cuts across Europe announced by management to workers on Monday. Management figures presented a worst-case scenario to 12,000 workers in a packed assembly hall of up to 2,500 job cuts in product development and a further 700 in administration. The carmaker has committed to an all-electric lineup in Europe by 2030 and its U.S. leadership has repeatedly flagged that EVs require less labour. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Christina Amann; Editing by Paul Carrel, Alexander Smith and Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

At a separate meeting between management and workers representatives, Ford said it was planning a reduction of 65% in development jobs and around 20% in administrative jobs in Europe, a spokesperson for IG Metall said. We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company not just in Germany but Europe-wide," IG Metall said. Ford of Europe produces, sells and services Ford brand vehicles in 50 markets, employing around 45,000 people at its own facilities and consolidated joint ventures, according to its website. The U.S. carmaker has committed to selling exclusively electric passenger cars in Europe by 2030, and is planning three new electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. Writing by Rachel More and Victoria Waldersee; editing by Matthias Williams and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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