When Northvolt filed for reorganization in bankruptcy court in Texas, the company also filed an application to pay bonuses to 230 key employees to keep them on.
In total, Northvolt requested – and received – permission from the court to use SEK 59 million for the bonus program.
When SVT revealed the bonus program, it caused great dissatisfaction internally among employees. According to information to SVT, a call began to be sent around among both workers and white-collar workers – with a protest against the bonus program.
On Sunday, according to SVT’s data, the petition had been signed by at least 400 people.
Victoria Hart is a chemical analyst at Northvolt and has been working full-time for the past few months as a representative for IF Metall. According to her, the outrage over the bonus program is great among IF Metall’s members.
– It has been a huge problem for many employees. People don’t understand how the company can say that 230 people are more important than the other 2,000, says Victoria Hart.
“No money has been paid out”
Northvolt does not want to answer SVT’s questions about the dissatisfaction and criticism from employees, but replies in a written comment that “if key people left the company, there would be serious consequences”.
Furthermore, the company wrote that “To date, no money has been paid out, as it depends on the company’s assessment that there are sufficient funds available.”
According to Northvolt, the 230 key personnel are distributed between all facilities and they are at different levels. The management team is exempt and is not entitled to this bonus.
Lowers motivation among members
Victoria Hart points out that her members have just seen 850 employees go, that those who remain are working hard and that the bonus program for key people to keep them is lowering the motivation of her members.
– If they can’t take care of the rest of their staff, they will have big problems. We have to stand up for those who actually manufacture our cells and stand on the floor, and work day in and day out for the company. Aren’t they key people?