German workers don't buy Musk's tricks.

Editor? /? Zhang? south

Design? /? Zhao Haoran

Source? /? Bloomberg, automatic news, American consumer news and business channel, by Stephen? Nicholas, Christopher? Loward, Dana? Hull and Josh? Edelson, Laura? Kolodny

65438+February 1, Tesla CEO Elon? Musk (Elon? Musk) sent an email to employees, urging them to continue to focus on cutting costs to continue to achieve quarterly profits and prevent Tesla's soaring share price from reversing.

Although Tesla is included in the S & amp； 500 Index (S&; p？ 500), its share price has reached a record high. However, Musk warned that once investors are worried about Tesla's ability to achieve profit expectations, the company's rising share price may be "hit hard".

"From our actual profit margin, last year's profit margin was very low, only about 1%. Investors have given great trust to our future profitability, but if they think that this will not happen, our stock will be broken like a shuffle cake under a sledgehammer! " Musk wrote in an email.

On the other hand, Tesla continues to build factories, one near Austin, Texas and the other near Berlin, Germany. Among them, Tesla Germany factory is its first European factory, which will be a major blow to the German automobile industry. As a result, the contradiction between this American Silicon Valley startup and the German traditional automobile union has also intensified.

With the construction of the super factory in Berlin, Elon? Musk has been launching a ruthless charm offensive. He promised to create thousands of jobs, and his German on Twitter is amazing. In addition, at the Liang Shang ceremony in September, he wore a heavy coarse woven vest and a wide-brimmed black felt hat, just like the traditional dress of local craftsmen.

This signal was warmly welcomed, politicians quickly approved the construction of the factory, while local residents clamored for jobs in this area which was difficult to attract investment. 165438+1October 30th, the CEO of Tesla came to the German capital for the third time in several months to receive the entrepreneurial achievement award from the publisher of influential tabloid Bild.

This is a composite picture of Tesla's new super factory on the outskirts of Berlin. Photographer: Sean? Gallup/Getty? picture

But in a certain corner of the German economy, this "feeling of love" is more like "killing each other": the powerful German Metal Union (IG? Metall) has 2.3 million members. The group clashed with the billionaire and threatened to destroy Musk's ambition, otherwise it would weaken the strength of this organization, which has long played a pivotal role in the German automobile industry because its demands for higher wages and a change of strategy were supported by very practical strike threats.

The focus of the conflict is Tesla's refusal to sign the German standard collective wage agreement. Things began to get tricky after the company ignored the letter from the Metal Industry Alliance seeking dialogue.

During the protests in Berlin, hundreds of workers accused Tesla of poaching a key manager from Daimler. A local trade union leader issued a statement warning Musk not to regard the wage agreement as "the devil's work", but to understand that it is essential for maintaining the peace of labor relations.

German Chancellor Angela? Angela. Christian, vice chairman of the labor party of Merkel's party? Baumler (Christian B? Umler) said: "The permanent conflict with the metal industry unions is not good for automakers. Trade unions are organized, rich and experienced. It can withstand long-term battles. "

On September 3, Musk drove a Tesla car to visit the super factory. Photographer: Strange? Andersen/Getty? picture

Similarly, Musk also has strong power and rich experience, especially money-in June 2020, he surpassed Bill? Gates became the second richest man in the world-and he rarely flinched in battle.

With the rapid rise of his factory in the sand beside Berlin's ring road, he successfully resolved the bureaucratic boycott, which may slow down the progress of large-scale projects in Germany.

He also spared no effort to tell German Minister of Economy Peter? Altmeier (Peter? Altmaier) and other senior officials showed good will. Altmeier promised to complete and put into use before the middle of 20021year at all costs. The local government quickly approved aid and building permits, seizing what they saw as a huge opportunity to stimulate growth.

Altmeier said at a meeting on165438+June 24th that Musk put pressure on electric vehicles and started a "successful revolution" in the automobile industry. "Without him, we would never have achieved such success."

On September 3, 2020, Musk spoke to media representatives at the construction site of the Gruheide Tesla Super Factory near Berlin.

Tesla's factory is the first automobile factory built in Germany in 20 years, and it is expected to create as many as 40,000 jobs in eastern Germany. During World War II, the region lost most of its heavy industry, and it shrank after decades of separation from Germany. German domestic manufacturers and suppliers are expected to lay off tens of thousands of employees because battery-powered cars need fewer parts and fewer workers.

The factory is the core of Tesla's European growth plan, and sends a signal to BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen: the upstart Americans they have long despised or ignored have come to their doorstep.

Musk is not a friend of the International Labour Organization. In 20 17, when an employee of Tesla's California factory asked the United Auto Workers' Union to help set up a trade union in the factory, Musk sent an email suggesting that the employee tried to destroy the company, and later suggested that setting up a trade union organization in the factory would mean that he no longer had stock options.

20 19 some judges criticized Tesla for repeatedly violating the national labor relations law. The company appealed the ruling, saying that it was the result of the "smear campaign" of the trade union and there was no factual basis.

For the metal industry unions, people are worried that Tesla will follow in the footsteps of Amazon. Despite years of protests organized by trade unions, Amazon expanded in Europe's largest economy, but did not sign a wage agreement for its warehouse workers.

Musk hopes to run his factory like a startup in Silicon Valley-attracting employees with unregulated wages and stock options, and promising to provide additional benefits, such as a "super carnival cave" party space with a car-sized sound system. If he succeeds, he is likely to threaten the ability of the Metal Industry Federation to get what it wants from other automakers.

165438+ 10 12, workers and members of the German Metal Union held a protest in a Daimler factory in Berlin. Photographer: LIESA? Johnson-Kopic

For trade unions, the power struggle is at a delicate juncture, because trade union members may lose the safe employment promised by the automobile industry for decades. As German auto industry executives discuss with metal industry unions to cut costs drastically to pay for their investment in electric vehicles, they may point out that Tesla's cost is lower, thus putting pressure on union officials to curb their demand.

Musk helped German executives establish a more confrontational tone, and they have long felt restricted by trade unions. Volkswagen CEO Herbert? Edith (Herbert? Diess) bluntly said that he is a fan of Tesla boss. He has repeatedly clashed with the German Metal Industry Union and regretted the "old and bloated" corporate structure of the world's best-selling automobile manufacturer.

Despite strong criticism from trade unions, parts suppliers Continental Group and Schaeffler Group vowed to lay off thousands of people and close or sell factories. Daimler CEO Kang Song Lin (Ola? Kallenius) cut some unrestricted employment contracts and replaced them with more flexible arrangements, which aroused the anger of workers.

Ferdinand, head of automotive research at Duisburg-Essen University? Dudenhoff (Ferdinand? Dudenhoffer) said that although Musk's company poses a threat to large German automakers, his entry into the birthplace of internal combustion engines may eventually prove to be a glimmer of hope behind the dark clouds.

In contrast, for trade unions, this is hardly beneficial, because the arrival of Musk represents that a model that may have come to an end is facing increasing risks.

Dudenhoff said: "Our corporate culture tends to keep things as they are. Musk is a person who can break this situation, which is the main opportunity here-also for German automakers. "

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.