{"id":6723,"date":"2026-02-11T14:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T13:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tesliens.com\/non-categorise\/tesla-accuses-ig-metall-of-espionage-at-giga-berlin\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T07:48:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T06:48:06","slug":"tesla-accuses-ig-metall-of-espionage-at-giga-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tesliens.com\/en\/news\/tesla-accuses-ig-metall-of-espionage-at-giga-berlin\/","title":{"rendered":"Tesla accuses IG Metall of espionage at Giga Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I won’t lie to you, when I found out what happened on February 10 at the Berlin Gigafactory<\/strong>, I immediately understood that this wasn’t just a minor incident. An accusation of industrial espionage<\/strong> launched by Tesla against IG Metall<\/strong>, the powerful German union, and this just three weeks before crucial elections for the works council<\/strong>… The situation is explosive. <\/p>\n\n

To fully understand what’s at stake, we need to go back to that Tuesday when everything changed. The 11,000 employees of the Gr\u00fcnheide factory are in the middle of an election campaign, tensions are rising, and now a scandal erupts that could change everything. Let me tell you what’s really happening at this European factory that I’ve been observing since its opening. <\/p>\n\n

A clandestine recording that ignited the powder keg<\/h2>\n\n

The facts are brutal and undeniable. On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, during an ordinary works council<\/strong> meeting, an external representative<\/strong> of IG Metall allegedly discreetly recorded the discussions. Not just any meeting: an official body, governed by German labor law, where sensitive issues are discussed. <\/p>\n\n

Tesla’s reaction was swift. They brought out the heavy artillery: police intervention on site, seizure of a computer belonging to the suspected union member, and the filing of an official criminal complaint<\/strong>. Nothing less. <\/p>\n\n

What struck me was the communication strategy adopted by the manufacturer. Andr\u00e9 Thierig<\/strong>, the Gigafactory director, chose to make the matter public via X (formerly Twitter), openly using the term “industrial espionage.” Shocking vocabulary that clearly shows Tesla does not intend to let the incident pass. <\/p>\n

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\"Tesla<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

IG Metall denies everything and denounces electoral manipulation<\/h2>\n\n

Of course, the union wasn’t going to take it lying down. IG Metall immediately denied everything, stating that no illegal recording took place. Furthermore, the union turned the accusation back on Tesla, denouncing it as a pure electoral maneuver<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

And frankly, when you look at the timing, you have to wonder. Three weeks before a crucial election, an explosive accusation that splashes union representatives<\/strong>… Coincidences sometimes happen at just the right time, don’t they? <\/p>\n\n

This affair doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s important to know that strained relations<\/strong> between Tesla and unions are nothing new. Elon Musk has always been openly critical of union organizations, whether in the United States or elsewhere. At Giga Berlin<\/strong> specifically, there have already been strikes, environmental protests against the factory’s expansion, and tough wage negotiations. <\/p>\n\n

What’s happening today is the continuation of a power struggle that has been ongoing since the German factory opened.<\/p>\n\n

High-stakes elections for 11,000 employees<\/h2>\n\n

The electoral calendar and its implications<\/h3>\n\n

To understand the importance of this matter, you need to grasp what’s concretely at stake. From March 2 to 4, 2026, approximately 11,000 Gigafactory employees are called to the polls to elect their works council<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

This election is not an insignificant event. In Germany, these elections are mandatory every four years, between March 1 and May 31. The previous election at Giga Berlin took place in 2024, triggered by the rapid increase in workforce during the factory’s ramp-up. <\/p>\n\n

What does a works council truly represent in Germany?<\/h3>\n\n

If you’re French like me, the concept of “Betriebsrat” deserves some explanation. The German social model<\/strong> grants these councils very real powers, far from symbolic. <\/p>\n\n