Tesla filed a criminal complaint after an external representative from German union IG Metall was caught recording an internal works council meeting at the company’s Berlin factory on Tuesday.
André Thierig, Tesla‘s factory manager in Germany, said the union representative was attending the meeting as a guest when they were spotted recording using a laptop computer.
“What has happened today at Giga Berlin is truly beyond words,” Thierig wrote on X.
“An external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting. For unknown reasons he recorded the internal meeting and was caught in action! We obviously called police and filed a criminal complaint!” Thierig added.
“We obviously called police and filed a criminal complaint,” he added.
The incident marks the latest escalation in tensions between Tesla and IG Metall, Germany’s largest industrial union, which has been seeking to organize workers at the automaker’s Brandenburg plant.
Thierig warned late last year that Tesla‘s US leadership may reconsider expanding the Berlin factory if workers vote in favor of IG Metall representation.
“I cannot imagine that the decision makers in the USA will continue to push ahead with the expansion of the factory if the election results are majority in favour of IG Metall,” he told German press agency DPA.
German Sales Slump
The union dispute comes as Tesla‘s sales in Germany continue to decline.
The company sold 19,390 vehicles in the country in 2025, nearly half the 37,574 units registered in 2024, according to data published by the Federal Motor Transport Authority.
Year-over-year declines persisted throughout 2025, with monthly registrations falling below 1,000 units for the first time in nearly three years in April.
Sales hit a three-year low of 750 vehicles in October before rebounding in November and December.
Tesla sold 2,032 vehicles in Germany in December, up 15.3% from November but down 48% from a year earlier.
Updated Lineup
Tesla sells its Model S, 3, X, and Y in Germany, with refreshed versions of the luxury Model S and Model X recently launched in Europe.
The Model Y starts at €39,990 following the introduction of a Standard variant in October, with deliveries from the Berlin factory beginning in December.
The Model 3 Standard, launched in late 2025, starts at €36,990.
The updated Model S and Model X are priced from €109,990 and €114,990, respectively.
