Electric carmaker Tesla, already under a slew of attacks, is now facing backlash over accusations of withholding pay of ill workers at its German factory.
According to a report in the local news website Handelsblatt, the sickness rate at Elon Musk’s German plant is “unusually high.” As a result, the electric carmaker is reportedly sending letters to employees who have called in sick with the subject line: “Doubts about the submitted certificates of incapacity to work.”
Tesla withholds salaries?
The letters inform employees that their payment of wages will be stopped immediately and even threatens repayment of salaries already paid. Tesla also urges its employees to disclose their diagnosis for "every certified incapacity for work" and to release the doctors treating them from their duty of confidentiality.
A major German union on Friday also accused Tesla's factory near Berlin of a slew of wrongful practices against workers on sick leave, including refusing to pay them their salaries, reported AFP.
Tesla would cite "debts" due to alleged "overpayment," and sometimes encourage employees to sign mutual termination agreements, the union alleged in its statement. Salaries were often withheld by superbillionaire Elon Musk’s company, the union claimed.
Tesla under fire
The accusations came at a difficult time for Tesla in Germany, where the company has been losing market share in the car market since January.
{{/usCountry}}The accusations came at a difficult time for Tesla in Germany, where the company has been losing market share in the car market since January.
{{/usCountry}}On social media, it has resulted in more bad press for the company, which has recently faced protests worldwide fueled by anger against its owner, Elon Musk.
Elon Musk faces backlash in Germany over his support for the far-right AfD during the recent parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, four Tesla cars went up in flames in Berlin overnight from Thursday to Friday, with police investigating a possible "political motive."
(Also read: Tesla under fire: Elon Musk breaks silence as Cybertrucks torched, showrooms vandalised)
On Reddit, news of Tesla withholding salaries at its Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory was met with severe criticism.
“Nothing funnier than Americans trying to operate in countries with laws and rights for workers,” wrote one Reddit user, while another said: “They need to do research on what happened to Walmart after they tried to avoid German labor laws.”
“Oh, that strategy is not going to pan out for Tesla. Not in Germany, not in any other European country in fact,” a Reddit user predicted.
Another referred to Musk as “Ultra-capitalist scum.”
“This is the real reason why Felon hates the EU. Strong labor laws,” a user added.