Tesla Accuses IG Metall Member of Secretly Recording Giga Berlin Meeting
Tesla has accused an IG Metall member of secretly recording a works council meeting at its Giga Berlin plant, an allegation the union has denied. The incident occurred on February 10, 2026, when police seized the computer of an IG Metall member at the Giga Berlin site. Tesla's plant manager, André Thierig, described the event as 'truly beyond words', stating that an external union representative recorded the internal meeting without permission. The union has denied Tesla's claims, arguing that the representative did not record the meeting and that Tesla's accusation is a tactic ahead of upcoming works council elections.
The next works council election at Giga Berlin is scheduled for March 2-4, 2026, with approximately 11,000 employees eligible to vote. The previous election took place in 2024 due to a significant increase in the workforce size, as required by German labor law.
In other news, SpaceX has secured a legal victory after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) dismissed a case accusing the company of terminating engineers involved in an open letter against Elon Musk. The NLRB confirmed it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX, which was previously under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board (NMB).
Additionally, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, has leased a full floor at Lincoln Square South in downtown Bellevue, WA, as per city permit filings. The lease places xAI in one of the region's fastest-growing tech hubs, where it plans to open an office in the Seattle area.
Finally, SpaceX has taken steps to block unauthorized use of its Starlink satellite internet network, a move that has disrupted Russian military communications. Ukrainian officials confirmed that Starlink terminals believed to be used by Russian troops were disabled after coordination with SpaceX, affecting frontline communications and drone operations.
