Tensions are rising at Tesla’s Berlin-based Gigafactory as around 3,000 employees voice their frustration over working conditions on the factory floor.
Workers have signed a formal protest and submitted a list of demands to Tesla’s management, calling for immediate improvements, including better staffing levels, more frequent breaks, and an end to pressure-based management practices.
According to Automotive News Europe, employees say the workload has become overwhelming.
One worker, affiliated with the IG Metall union, expressed concerns about basic needs being neglected: “We often don’t even have time to go to the bathroom. No one can work like this until retirement.”
The timing is notable—Tesla has just begun production of its updated Model Y at the Berlin factory, and both management and workers expect the pressure to increase in response to rising demand.
To help meet that demand, Tesla recently offered 3,000 temporary workers permanent contracts with a fixed salary starting in April.
The company also released the results of an internal survey conducted among approximately 7,500 of the factory’s 11,000 employees. According to Tesla, 80% of respondents reported being satisfied with their working conditions, 5% were dissatisfied, and the rest gave neutral responses.
Still, criticism of Tesla extends beyond the factory gates.
The company and CEO Elon Musk have come under fire for political involvement, which has made Tesla a target for protest.
In January, left-wing activists defaced the factory, reportedly spray-painting the word “Heil” on its exterior. There have also been attempts to set fire to the site.
Similar acts have occurred abroad. In the U.S. and France, Tesla charging stations have been vandalized or burned, and in some cases, gunfire has been directed at Tesla stores. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with these incidents.
Because the arrests were made in the United States, the suspects are expected to be charged as terrorists, under orders from President Donald Trump—a classification that, under U.S. law, could carry the death penalty.
