Tesla threatens employees at Giga-Berlin - Article from German Newspaper
Translation \-If the German trade union IG Metall were to expand its influence in works council elections, investments would be halted.- As the saying goes: even bad press is good press. The head of the Tesla plant in Grünheide, André Thierig, takes every opportunity to disparage IG Metall in front of the workforce and the press. At the same time, employees are experiencing work that makes them sick, the harassment of union members, and home visits. Demands for an additional short break per shift—or even Christmas pay? Red lines for Tesla management. Among colleagues, a suspicion is growing that there might be something to the union after all. Even if it were once again merely jockeying for its position as a co-manager, it couldn’t get any worse. In addition, the plant manager avoids open confrontation with the union. “André Thierig talks so gladly and at such length about IG Metall that he even regularly halts production to do so,” the IG Metall faction on Tesla’s works council declared on December 9. That he refused an open debate at the works meeting—to which the IG Metall representatives had challenged him—did not surprise them. “His propaganda against us and our efforts to defend the workforce’s rights works only as long as he doesn’t allow other opinions. In a factual discussion, he would have no chance of convincing anyone.” But Elon Musk’s strategy is not persuasion—it is pressure. Especially with the upcoming works council election. And so the latest threat from Tesla management in Grünheide is this: if IG Metall expands its influence in three months’ time, investments in Grünheide could be halted and redirected instead to other Tesla plants worldwide, as reported by Handelsblatt on December 11. The decisive factors, they say, are productivity and cost structure. According to Thierig at an “internal event” on December 9, Grünheide is being compared by U.S. management with plants in Shanghai and other regions. Although a three-digit million-euro sum has been invested in the plant this year, the long-term positioning of the site—especially in light of labor-law demands—remains an open question. As an example, he reportedly cited the debate over a 35-hour workweek, which would impair the plant’s competitiveness. In that case, it could appear sensible from the corporation’s perspective to manufacture certain products at other locations, Handelsblatt quoted him as saying. According to IG Metall, this approach is nothing new. “Just as in 2024, they are playing with the hopes, wishes, and fears of employees to influence the outcome of the elections. We are confident that colleagues have seen through this by now,” IG Metall district leader Jan Otto told jW on Wednesday. “For years it’s been said: if you work hard, don’t organize with IG Metall, and dutifully elect management-aligned works councils, the plant will be expanded and you’ll all have unforeseen opportunities for advancement.” Since production began in 2022, in addition to expansions and new products for Grünheide, the construction of numerous additional gigafactories worldwide has been announced. “Not a single one has actually been built,” Otto said. Ultimately, it’s quite simple: “If demand for Teslas rises and Tesla needs a new plant in Europe, this plant will be expanded. As long as sales figures are falling, Tesla won’t build any plant at all—neither here nor anywhere else.” Recent developments initially seem to support IG Metall’s view. Tesla has announced this week that it intends to ramp up battery production in Grünheide. Starting in 2027, complete battery cells are to be produced on site—“if the conditions are right.” Those conditions include not only the workforce’s willingness to organize, but also factors such as sales. This year, Tesla’s sales in Europe have fallen by almost one third, even though nearly 30 percent more electric cars were sold overall."