In Germany, Tesla pays workers 20% less than competitors

The largest car union wants to represent employees at the Berlin plant.

Germany’s largest car union, IG Metall, has said it wants to represent workers at Tesla’s new plant near Berlin, claiming that the company’s employees receive significantly lower pay than those working for German carmakers.

The union has already opened an office near Tesla’s plant, and local leader Birgit Ditze, who runs operations in Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony, said the union was ready to discuss pay, working hours and employment. Job seekers at Tesla have already told IG Metall that the American manufacturer offers 20% lower pay than German companies.

In addition, Elon Musk’s company offers its new employees packages of stock options and bonuses instead of the traditional holiday pay. The factory is expected to employ 12,000 people, producing 500,000 cars a year.

According to Auto News, approximately 1,800 workers were hired by Tesla by Christmas. The first phase of production will begin with 6,000 employees, Birgit Ditze said.

So far, Tesla has also had problems with unions in the United States, opposing their plans to enter the Fremont plant in California. A union of workers at the plant in Berlin has not yet been formed, but IG Metall is ambitious to do so in order to protect the interests of Tesla employees.