Skip to main content
Musk on a collision course with Europe’s unions
Tesla and its maverick owner may have got away with anti-worker and anti-union practices in the US, but their new factory in Germany will be a different story, writes TONY BURKE
SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives in Berlin, Germany

WHEN Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of electric auto maker Tesla, landed his private jet in Berlin in November (unannounced, in the middle of Germany’s national lockdown) he tweeted he was there to recruit engineers.

“Recruiting ace engineers for Giga Berlin! Will interview in person tomorrow on site,” he wrote. Within minutes thousands of engineers replied seeking an interview.

Tesla, a hi-tech manufacturer, may attract many young and aspiring engineers and technical staff to their employment. But Musk is no fan of trade unions. Tesla workers in the USA have filed complaints about low pay and poor working conditions. Musk himself has opposed workers’ attempts to unionise.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You can read five articles for free every month,
but please consider supporting us by becoming a subscriber.
More from this author
TB
Music / 12 May 2025
12 May 2025

A New Awakening: Adventures In British Jazz 1966 - 1971, G3, and Buck Owens 

Platform working
Features / 5 May 2025
5 May 2025

TONY BURKE says an International Labour Conference next month will try for a new convention to protect often super-exploited workers providing services such as ride-hailing (taxis) such as Uber as well as fast food and package delivery

The Green Arrows, Salisbury 1977 / Pic © Analog Africa
Global Routes / 23 April 2025
23 April 2025

How underground bands formed a vital part of the struggle against white supremacy

Album Reviews / 3 March 2025
3 March 2025
New releases by Samba Touré, Santrofi, and Piers Faccini & Ballake Sissoko 
Similar stories

Protesters rally against Tesla CEO Elon Musk outside a Tesl
World / 30 March 2025
30 March 2025
General Secretary of the Unite union, Sharon Graham speaks d
Editorial: / 9 October 2024
9 October 2024
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, speaks during the Global Citizen Aw
Features / 5 October 2024
5 October 2024
From the ports to the postal service, Swedish unions are outmanoeuvring Tesla in solidarity with striking mechanics — speaking to Tony Burke, IF Metall’s MARIE NEILSON explains that collective bargaining remains non-negotiable in Sweden