Tesla is looking for hundreds of new employees – IG Metall warns of overload!

Tesla is looking for hundreds of new employees – IG Metall warns of overload!

Tesla has started advertising jobs in Germany again. This particularly affects the factory in Grünheide near Berlin, where the electronics manufacturer wants to create a large number of new jobs. Despite a significant decline in sales and financial results, the IG Metall union is calling for improved working conditions for existing employees. It warns against overload and points out the current challenges in the workforce. Loud World A total of 317 positions were advertised in April 2023, including 119 in the factory in Grünheide. However, compared to previous months, these numbers are relatively low, as Tesla otherwise had between 100 and 200 jobs per month.

After the company initiated drastic cost-cutting measures in 2022 and laid off numerous employees, Tesla was only looking for 28 new employees in Grünheide between May and August 2022. The dominant market analysis for the German labor market found that since the beginning of 2023, more than half of the positions that were available in the entire previous year have already been advertised. A total of 1,430 positions were advertised in Germany in the first four months of 2023, compared to 2,517 in the previous year.

Financial situation and production goals

In the first quarter of 2023, the financial signs are bad for Tesla. Sales, profits and sales figures have fallen noticeably. Net income was just $409 million, a decline of over 70% compared to the previous year. The reasons for this are varied. According to reports, Musk's involvement in the Trump administration and the switch to the new Model Y were seen as partly responsible for this decline.

Nevertheless, Tesla has ambitious production goals: Weekly production is to be increased from 5,000 to 7,500 vehicles. In the long term, the company plans to produce 10,000 and later 20,000 vehicles per week. However, IG Metall is calling for additional workers in order to get safety concerns and the stress on employees under control.

Working conditions and trade unionism

IG Metall has recently had a particular influence on the working conditions in the Grünheider Gigafactory. Over 1,000 employees have joined the union, which would be unthinkable in the USA, where unions are excluded from the factories. Employees wore stickers with the slogan “Together for safe and fair work at Tesla.” Reports of workplace accidents and safety lapses have emerged in an undercover documentary, with three ambulances driving up to the factory during a blitz.

However, working conditions are precarious: a third of employees are currently on sick leave, which leads to increased pressure on the remaining employees. The reports mention that Tesla pays below the standard rate and does not provide any supplements for late shifts or holiday or Christmas bonuses. This could affect employee motivation.

The focus is particularly on IG Metall's efforts to elect a real works council in order to be able to represent the concerns of employees more effectively. After a recent blitz, Tesla announced wage increases, but it remains to be seen whether this will solve the underlying problems associated with workload and conditions in production.

The current situation at Tesla raises questions about the company's future development and shows the importance of strong representation of workers' rights.