USA US union files complaint against Trump and Musk

Following the live conversation between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, one of the most influential US unions has filed a federal labor complaint. The two "disgraced billionaires" spoke out in front of an audience of over a million people on Monday evening (local time) in favor of the "illegal firing of striking workers", according to a statement from the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Specifically, the union was referring to Trump, who had said in the conversation directed at Musk: "If they go on strike, you say: That's okay, you're all gone. You're all gone. Every one of you is gone." Musk responded with laughter. Employees at the electric car manufacturer Tesla, which he runs, are not unionized in the US, as the world's wealthiest man, according to Forbes, believes this is decidedly unnecessary.

"Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they're openly laughing about it," commented UAW President Shawn Fain. "This is disgusting, illegal and completely predictable by these two clowns." According to the UAW, it represents more than 400,000 active workers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico - primarily from the automotive industry. Politically, the union traditionally supports Democrats. At the end of July, it backed the party's presidential candidate, Kamala Harris.

In the US, the right to strike is protected at federal level - it is illegal to fire or intimidate workers who threaten to strike. The National Labor Relations Board decides whether the UAW complaint will be investigated. The federal authority is responsible for compliance with labor law in the USA. If it initiates an investigation and comes to the conclusion that a violation has indeed occurred, penalties can be imposed.