IG Metall List misses election victory in Tesla works council election

“We are pleased that so many colleagues have placed their trust in us after such an unfair election campaign and despite all the threats. Unfortunately, it was not yet enough for a union majority,” explained Laura Arndt from the IG Metall list about the result on Wednesday evening. The union had declared its goal to win a majority on the works council in the election.

“The workforce at the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg is sending a clear signal against IG Metall,” said company management, commenting on the result. At around 90 percent, there was a significantly higher voter turnout than in the election two years ago.

The long-simmering conflict between IG Metall and the company had recently come to a head. IG Metall and company management accused each other of unfair actions, and recently even CEO Elon Musik warned that the union would win the election.

Around 11,000 employees were called upon to elect their interest representatives. Eleven lists were available to choose from. The Tesla leadership linked the outcome of the company selection with the future development at the location.

Tesla factory manager André Thierig had made sharp accusations against the union. “It was clear to us that IG Metall would try by all means possible to influence the election campaign. But in my opinion, IG Metall has clearly exceeded the limits of a fair election campaign in the last few weeks,” Thierig said in a statement after the works council election that began at midnight on Monday. “Especially in times when our values ​​and goals (and I personally) are under attack from external organizations, our internal cohesion is felt all the more strongly.”

IG Metall has long been calling for better working conditions and has been campaigning for a collective agreement, which Tesla factory manager Thierig rejects. The IG Metall district manager for Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony, Jan Otto, explained: “As a trade unionist, I have never before experienced a management that tries with all its power to influence a works council election like the Tesla management.”

This election is about better working conditions in the Gigafactory and a works council that represents the interests of the employees most effectively. “That’s our focus, that’s what we concentrate on. It’s about nothing else,” says Otto.

Musk addressed the workforce via video

In the 2024 works council election, IG Metall was the largest group, but the majority of seats went to non-union representatives. According to the US electric car manufacturer, the works council election meant a directional decision: the question was whether the factory would be further expanded or not. Tesla boss Elon Musk addressed the workforce in Brandenburg with a video message to indirectly warn against the union.

“Things certainly become more difficult when there are external organizations, so to speak, that are pushing Tesla in the wrong direction,” Musk said. “We won’t close the factory, but realistically we won’t expand either.” Musk wants to make the factory the “largest factory complex in Europe” – provided the authorities and the population join in.

There was a scandal at the most recent works council meeting: Tesla accused an IG Metall representative of secretly recording. The union rejects the accusation. Investigations are ongoing, both sides agreed to a settlement in the labor court in the dispute over statements.