The US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has taken action against SpaceX, alleging the company unlawfully terminated eight employees for openly criticizing CEO Elon Musk. Additionally, the agency accused SpaceX of engaging in acts of interrogation, surveillance, and threats against its workers.
Moving forward, the NLRB intends to pursue a resolution with SpaceX. Should a settlement not be reached, the aerospace giant will face a court hearing scheduled for March.
According to the labor agency, SpaceX's actions, including the monitoring and display of employees' messages, gave the impression of surveillance and intrusion into their privacy.
Last year, a group of SpaceX employees authored an open letter expressing concerns about Musk's behavior, citing it as a recurring cause of distraction and embarrassment. The letter emphasized the need to distinguish between Musk's public behavior and the company's mission and values.
Furthermore, the letter highlighted alleged issues within the company concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion, suggesting a failure to prioritize these principles uniformly across SpaceX.
The NLRB's demands include requiring SpaceX to display notices about employee rights for 120 days and issue letters of apology to the discharged employees.
(With Agency Inputs)
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