The German government has opened an investigation on Mercedes-Benz after the United Auto Workers (UAW) filed charges for the company’s anti-union actions against Alabama autoworkers in April of this year. According to The German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains passed in 2023, companies must respect human rights and prove they provided due diligence in their effort to provide good standards for workers.
The UAW included seven violations in their charge to Mercedes-Benz such as:
- The termination of a worker with stage 4 cancer that was also a union supporter.
- A letter sent by Mercedes-Benz U.S. International CEO Michael Gobel in January that violated the workers freedom of association.
- Two mandatory plant meetings with Gobel in February that discouraged workers from unionizing and passing out union apparel.
“Autoworkers in Alabama should have the same rights and be treated with the same respect as autoworkers in Germany. My coworkers and I are grateful to the German government for taking our testimonies and the evidence we have provided seriously and taking the first steps to hold the lawless, reckless Mercedes managers in Alabama accountable for their action.”
- Jeremy Kimbrell, Alabama plant worker
Workers at the Vance, AL plant have recorded a history of intimidation and violations from the company including being illegally fired for taking protected leave and were in turn awarded $438,625 by the US Department of Labor. Ultimately, the union election that took place on May 17th resulted in a defeat for the workers with 56% voting against unionization.
