Tesla Berlin factory will elect the working council on February 28

BERLIN – Tesla’s The Berlin factory will elect its first works council on February 28, Germany’s largest union IG Metall said on Thursday, expressing concern that it is too early for the election to lead to a representative body. real face.

So far, only one-sixth of the roughly 12,000 workers expected at the plant have been hired, in part because Tesla is still waiting for final approval from local authorities to begin production. The Council will consist of 19 members.

IG Metall, which represents workers across auto companies as well as other industrial sectors, is concerned that calling an election before large numbers of workers are hired would lead to a union. The community has the highest management authority.

Under German labor law, only employees who have worked at a company for at least six months are eligible to stand for election.

The results of the election will be valid regardless of the share of the workforce vote, and a new election can only be called after two years if the workforce has grown by more than 50%.

“The people hired so far are not representative of the workforce,” said Birgit Dietze, head of the Berlin-Brandenburg-Sachsen regional office, where Tesla’s factory is located.

Her comments echoed statements she made in November, when the union established that an election was on the cards.

A Tesla representative was not immediately available for comment.

Managing director Elon Musk In the past, it has been controversial with organized labor and was ordered last March to delete a comment made on Twitter in 2018 that threatened to strip employees of stock options. United States if they form a union.

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