Tesla has filed a criminal complaint against a member of the German union IG Metall, alleging the individual secretly recorded a confidential works council meeting. The carmaker asserts this action constitutes a serious legal violation. This move escalates tensions between the company and organized labor at its German operations.

In Germany, works councils are legally mandated employee representation bodies within companies, and their meetings are protected from unauthorized recording. IG Metall is the country's largest industrial union, frequently involved in collective bargaining. Secretly taping such a session is a criminal offense under German law, carrying potential fines or imprisonment.

The complaint highlights the fraught relationship between Tesla and portions of its German workforce. Such allegations can damage trust, invite regulatory scrutiny, and complicate the automaker's efforts to manage its European production hubs. The criminal investigation now underway poses a direct reputational and legal risk for the union member involved and could influence future labor negotiations at the facility.