MULTI-BILLIONAIRE Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been accused of unlawfully firing eight workers who were critical of him while detailing their workplace concerns.

The workers sent a letter to company bosses in 2022 calling the SpaceX chief executive a “distraction and embarrassment.”

In a complaint over the sackings, a regional official at the National Labour Relations Board accused the rocket and satellite firm of violating the workers’ legal rights allowing them to jointly call for better conditions.

The complaint also said that the workers were interrogated before being discharged.

Lawyers for one of the former employees, Deborah Lawrence, accused SpaceX of having a “toxic culture” where harassment is tolerated.

It is not the first time one of Mr Musk’s companies has been accused of violating workers’ rights.

In October, social media company X faced complaints of illegally firing a worker for posts challenging the company’s return to office policy.

Electric car company Tesla has also faced complaints over racial discrimination at its factories.

And in August 2023, SpaceX was sued by the US government for discrimination against refugees and asylum-seekers in its hiring practices.