Elon Musk's Return-To-Office Ultimatum Meets Resistance In Germany

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk’s recent notice to employees that remote working is no longer acceptable and asking them to return to the office full-time or quit has met resistance from Germany’s largest trade union on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing the union.

What Happened: The IG Metall union in Berlin-Brandenburg-Sachsen, where the electric vehicle maker recently opened its first European Giga factory, said it would support any employee who does not agree with Musk’s notice.

"Whoever does not agree with such one-sided demands and wants to stand against them has the power of unions behind them in Germany, as per law," the report noted, citing a union executive.

Tesla aims to ramp up its headcount in Germany to 12,000 employees from 4,000 now. 

See Also: Elon Musk To Tesla Employees Who Want To Stay Remote: 'Pretend To Work Somewhere Else'

Why It Matters: Musk has vocally opposed unions and unlike legacy automakers such as General Motors Corp GM, Ford Motor Co F and others, Tesla does not have unions at its plants. 

However, Tesla employees in Giga Berlin elected 19 people to its first workers' council in February, a move resisted by Musk.

The world’s richest man told employees on Wednesday in an email that if they believed working from the office is old-fashioned, they could "pretend to work somewhere else” and asked employees to either clock a minimum of forty hours per week or leave Tesla if they wish to work remotely.

"If you don't show up, we will assume you have resigned," Musk wrote in a follow-up email.

Price Action: Tesla stock closed 4.68% higher at $775 on Thursday.