Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Arch-capitalists Donald Trump and Elon Musk openly threaten workers who go on strike

Two of the world's most prominent capitalists, former U.S President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, can't hide their deep enmity against the working class. On the contrary, they express it publicly and even share a laugh about it. Shamelessly and Cynically.

Here is an excerpt of their discussion during Trump's interview to X (Twitter) on Monday:

“I look at what you do, you walk in and you just say, ‘You want to quit?’ They go on strike – I won’t mention the name of the company – but they go on strike, and you say, ‘That’s okay, you’re all gone. You’re all gone. Every one of you is gone,” Trump said. Musk could be heard laughing and replying “yeah”.
 
So, according to Trump and Musk, the right of workers to strike, which was achieved by after decades of painful struggles, shouldn't exist! Whoever goes on strike, or organizes fellow workers for strike, should be threatened with dismissal! That's the rule of the capitalists: Cruel, barbaric, inhumane.

Following Trump and Musk's hideous remarks, the United Auto Workers union (UAW) filed federal labor charges against them for threatening to intimidate workers who go on strike.

The charges claim the former president and the Tesla CEO had “interfered with, restrained or coerced employees” who were exercising their right to organize against the company, “suggesting he would fire employees engaged in protected concerted activity, including striking.”

Workers have attempted to organize at Tesla several times. But Musk and Tesla’s aggressive tactics and outspoken opposition to unionization – in addition to Tesla’s strategy of granting factory workers stock options – has kept unionizing efforts at bay. 

P.S: UAW's endorsement of Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris is obviously a huge disappointment. Like Trump and the Republicans, Harris and the Democratic Party are also political representatives of monopoly capital, with a long record of deeply anti-worker policies. The perception of the "lesser evil" has always been disastrous for the interests of the working class.