Musk Email Reaches Italian Workers. It Did Not Go Well. [View all]

Source: NYT

-snip-

The email was a by-now familiar demand from President Trump’s chief cost-cutter, Elon Musk, carrying with it the threat of termination if they did not respond. But on this occasion, it did not land with government employees in the United States, but rather in Italy, a country where workers’ rights are held sacrosanct.

-snip-

Aviano, an Italian air base that hosts the United States 31st Fighter Wing, employs more than 700 Italian civilian personnel who on a daily basis cook and clean and generally keep the base running.

-snip-

Those jobs, in keeping with longstanding labor traditions in Italy, are fully unionized and protected under Italian labor laws. But at the same time, the employees work for the United States government, which pays their salaries.

-snip-

Some German employees of the U.S. government in Germany also received Mr. Musk’s first email asking them to explain their work output, said a senior diplomat in Berlin, who did not want to be named while talking about an ally. (Mr. Musk’s follow-up email appears to have been sent only to American employees in Germany, the diplomat said.)

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/world/europe/musk-email-italy-airbase.html

---

Btw, even if you don't subscribe to the NYT or don't want to log in, the "Listen to this article" link apparently always gives you the full article.