Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin has been up and running for over two years, and during that time, workers at the factory have gone through a surprisingly high number of mugs. The exact number was revealed during a recent staff meeting, where the issue of growing union pressures was also discussed.
On July 4, 2024, during a staff meeting, Andre Thierig, Director of Manufacturing at Giga Berlin, disclosed that factory workers have gone through 65,000 coffee mugs since the factory began production in March 2022. As of the most recent figures, Tesla currently employs around 12,000 workers, leading Theirig to highlight how many mugs each worker should have.
“We’ve bought 65,000 coffee mugs since we started production here. Statistically speaking, each of you already has five Ikea coffee cups at home,” Thierig said, according to a report by Handelsblatt, which obtained audio recordings of the meeting, showing his statement was met with laughter and applause from employees.
Despite the light-hearted response, Thierig expressed his frustration over the repeated need to approve orders for new mugs. He has not yet commented publicly to media inquiries, but he did address the issue in a LinkedIn post. Thierig redirected attention to the factory’s new Giga Gym for employees, stating, “Whilst the whole world thinks we are only busy with mugs, we actually care about the most important asset of our Gigafactory—our people.”
The mug mystery is just one facet of the broader issues at Tesla’s German facility. The Gigafactory is also contending with significant union pressures following its recent Works Council election in March. The election saw IG Metall, a powerful German trade union, securing the most seats but falling short of a majority. IG Metall candidates received 3,516 votes, while Giga United and One Team garnered 3,201 and 1,106 votes, respectively.
During the same staff meeting, Michaela Schmitz, the re-elected Works Council Head, criticized some council members for being influenced by the union. “Unfortunately, we have members of the works council here who tend to allow themselves to be exploited by the union from outside,” Schmitz said, suggesting that union influence could hinder the council’s effectiveness in achieving favorable outcomes for employees.
Thierig thanked employees for their high voter turnout and for opting not to fully unionize Giga Berlin. “In the works council election that has just ended, the majority of our workforce spoke out against a trade union works council,” he wrote on LinkedIn. He emphasized the importance of maintaining an independent future for the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, expressing gratitude for the nearly 80% voter turnout.
