Settlement after dispute over sound recording

The public prosecutor’s office is investigating a criminal complaint filed by Tesla against a union secretary at IG Metall. He is said to have secretly and illegally recorded the works council meeting on his laptop. The authority initiated an investigation into violations of the confidentiality of the word and a violation of the Works Constitution Act.

Conversely, the prosecution is investigating the US electric car manufacturer’s plant manager in Grünheide near Berlin, André Thierig, following a criminal complaint from IG Metall. This is about the accusation of libel.

IG Metall district manager Jan Otto explained about the comparison that they could now fully concentrate on the content a few days before the works council election at the beginning of March. “Next week’s election is about better working conditions in the Gigafactory – there’s a lot to do.”

Conflict has been simmering for a long time

The conflict between Tesla and IG Metall has existed for a long time. It came to a head shortly before the works council election. The union is pushing for the introduction of a collective agreement, which the company does not believe is necessary. Around 11,000 employees work in company boss Elon Musk’s only European Tesla factory.