It’s not just Twitter that Elon Musk is under pressure. Today, several former employees of the SpaceX company belonging to the billionaire, explain that they were fired for having criticized the whimsical boss in a letter, relays the Guardian based on information from the New York Times. Eight former employees therefore decided to turn to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an independent agency responsible for investigating illegal practices in the world of work in the United States. They would have been victims of reprisals after writing this letter, they believe.
Laid off in June, they would have helped employees to write this letter pointing out the behavior of Elon Musk on social networks, in particular. The letter was largely in response to a joke the company boss made about a report that suggested he had paid $250,000 to a flight attendant who accused him of sexual harassment. Elon Musk had denied in block. In this letter which had been able to consult The Verge, it was written that the behavior of Elon Musk “in the public sphere” was “a source of distraction and embarrassment for all of us”, and this, “especially during the last few weeks”.
READ ALSO
Twitter: Elon Musk restores banned accounts, but not yet that of Donald Trump
“Broader Culture”
According to the New York Times, after writing this letter, about 20 employees met with a senior SpaceX executive and were told by one of the vice presidents that their act was “extremist” and that it annoyed the company. In return, employees reportedly demanded that SpaceX publicly denounce Elon Musk’s behavior on social media. A case that echoes the series of dismissals, within Twitter, of employees who would have criticized it recently. Since then, Elon Musk would also have instructed his collaborators to find his “opponents” within the social network. This is not the first time that one of Elon Musk’s companies has faced the NLRB since in 2021 already, Tesla had been singled out for having dismissed a man who tried to unionize.
At this time, SpaceX has not responded to requests for comment from our English and American colleagues. In their letter, the protesters also asked their management to commit to a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment. Employees have already denounced such behavior in the past. “Recent events are not isolated incidents,” write the disgruntled employees. They also denounce a “broader culture that serves many people who nevertheless allow SpaceX to accomplish extraordinary things”.
READ ALSO
Elon Musk: Here is the first message he sent to Twitter employees
READ ALSO
Does Twitter only have a few more weeks to live?