FRANKFURT, March 16 (Reuters) - Tesla's staff

in Germany will elect a new works council next week, when the IG

Metall union hopes to gain greater influence over pay and

working conditions after it accused the the U.S. carmaker of

inadequate safety provisions.

A suspected arson attack caused production at the plant near

Berlin to be halted for a week earlier this month, prompting

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk to visit this week.

The elections for the new works council, to be held on March

18-20, are aimed at filling 39 seats, according to IG Metall,

the top German trade union which has put forward 106 candidates

in an attempt to get a majority.

That would enable it to elect the council's chairperson and

gain greater control over areas where the union has taken issue

with the carmaker, which is known for its critical stance

towards unions.

Among IG Metall demands is to hire new employees, better

planning of working hours, at least 20 days of freely available

vacation, better health protection, more security, higher pay

and shorter working hours.

"Too often, savings are made on accident protection for

'Tesla Speed'. That has to change," IG Metall district manager

Dirk Schulze said in a statement.

In order to end the understaffing of shifts, temporary

workers should be hired, the union added.

Michaela Schmitz, the plant's current works council head,

told Reuters in e-mailed comments that much had been achieved

over the last two years, including pay increases of up to 18%,

improvements in occupational health and safety and benefits,

including bike sharing and free bus rides.

"All of the aforementioned successes were achieved without

the union or a collective bargaining agreement, quickly, easily

and customised to Giga Berlin," she said, adding that meant

there was no need for "external influences in the future" -

implying IG Metall.

In October, Tesla rejected IG Metall claims that health and

safety provisions at its gigafactory near Berlin were

inadequate, saying protecting workers was a top priority.

The company also last year raised salaries for the plant's

12,500 workers, which regional IG Metall head Dirk Schulze

welcomed at the time, while still calling for better working

conditions at the plant.