Tesla Berlin Factory Raid Sparks Union Accusations of “Calculated Lying”
Brandenburg police intervened in a works council meeting at Tesla’s Grünheide Gigafactory on February 10, 2026, igniting a dispute over alleged illegal recording and escalating tensions with the powerful German union IG Metall.
The scene – flashing lights at the entrance to the factory interrupting an internal meeting – reportedly surprised employees at Tesla’s sole European manufacturing facility. The intervention occurred against a backdrop of strained relations between Tesla management and IG Metall, and just weeks before crucial works council elections scheduled for March 2-4, 2026, involving the site’s 11,000 employees.
Police Intervention: Tesla’s Account
According to factory management, the police were called in response to “an incident that occurred during a works council meeting.” A representative from IG Metall, who was attending the session, is accused of recording the meeting on a laptop without authorization. Site director André Thierig stated that the union representative allegedly refused to surrender the equipment to Tesla security personnel, prompting the call to law enforcement.
Police subsequently seized the computer to determine if a recording of the confidential meeting had been made. In Germany, recording works council meetings without consent is a legal gray area and could trigger an investigation by the Frankfurt (Oder) public prosecutor’s office. Tesla views the matter as extending beyond a simple breach of internal protocol.
IG Metall Denounces a “Smear Campaign”
IG Metall vehemently disputes the accusations, asserting that no illegal recording took place. A union official characterized the claims as “an attempt to discredit [the union] as works council elections approach.” In statements to the German press, IG Metall denounced what it called a “calculated lie” intended to damage its reputation among employees. The union maintains that the incident stemmed from a mere suspicion raised during the meeting, without any concrete evidence of recording.
IG Metall believes the timing of these accusations is deliberate, aimed at weakening its influence ahead of the early March elections, where the union hopes to increase its representation on the works council. Already engaged in a contentious battle with Tesla over the establishment of a collective bargaining agreement, the union is now considering legal action in response to the allegations. This latest episode underscores the deeply fraught social climate that has characterized the Berlin Gigafactory for years, where conflict plays out both on the factory floor and in meeting rooms.
