From Torque News.

Tesla Giga Berlin in Grünheide categorically rejects the introduction of a collective bargaining agreement. "There was a two percent wage increase this year in the relevant collective agreement," Tesla Giga Berlin’s plant manager André Thierig told the German Press Agency (dpa). "Because we are in a different economic situation than the industry as a whole, we were able to increase wages – by four percent. Since Tesla started Giga Berlin’s Model Y production, this amounts to more than a 25 percent wage increase in less than four years."

The IG Metall union in Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony, which is one of the most powerful unions in Germany, is fighting for a collectively bargained wage agreement. "Without a collective agreement, pay at Tesla remains significantly below the level in other car factories in Germany," district manager Jan Otto told the German Press Agency (DPA). "Tesla management is badmouthing the collective agreement by citing its lowest pay grade. However, the two lowest pay grades aren’t even used in car factories."

For employees in the metal and electrical industries, a one-time special payment of €600 was agreed upon for 2024, along with an increase in monthly wages of 2.0 percent from April 2025 and 3.1 percent from April 2026. IG Metall and Tesla have long been irreconcilably opposed.

Giga Berlin’s plant manager Thierig also rejects a reduction in working hours, which the union is fighting for, and sees it as a risk to the site’s competitiveness. "The discussion about a 35-hour week is a red line for me; we will not cross it," said Thierig.

In 2026, Tesla will hold a works council election, which the plant manager considers very significant: "It will determine whether we can continue our successful path in the future in an independent, flexible, and unbureaucratic manner," said Thierig. "Personally, I cannot imagine that the decision-makers in the USA will continue to push ahead with the factory expansion if the election results favor IG Metall."

Although IG Metall formed the largest group in the 2024 works council election, the majority of seats went to representatives who were not union members.

Reference: RBB 24 https://www.rbb24.de/wirtschaft/beitrag/2025/12/tesla-gruenheide-werksleiter-andre-thierig-lehnt-tarifvertrag-ab.html

This is Armen Hareyan from Torque News. Please follow us at https://twitter.com/torquenewsauto on Twitter and https://www.torquenews.com for daily automotive news. Also, follow us on Telegram at https://t.me/teslaev