Among the countless workplace issues and worker conflicts at Tesla’s German Gigafactory, perhaps one of the most contentious topics for management has been the issue of missing cups.
In a heated employee meeting filled with safety and pay issues, Tesla factory manager Andre Thierig was troubled by the tens of thousands of coffee cups missing from the factory, according to German state broadcaster DW.
“Since we started production here, we have purchased 65,000 coffee cups. 65,000! Statistically, every one of you already has one in your home,” Tirrig told workers at the Tesla factory, according to Deutsche Welle. Five IKEA coffee cups. “
The factory manager said he had had enough and promised to remove the cutlery from the breakroom if the thefts didn’t stop. Meanwhile, employees laughed and applauded the seemingly trivial issue in a tense meeting, Deutsche Welle reported.
“I’m really tired of approving orders for more coffee mugs,” Thiehrig said.
The coffee cup disaster comes as Tesla faces a number of workplace and safety issues at its German factory in Grünheide, southeast of Berlin. According to Deutsche Welle, the problem has become so serious that Jannes Bojert, secretary of the IG Metall union that represents many Tesla workers, said that a strike was not impossible, although it was a “last resort.”
After several delays in opening the Gigafactory, it began operations in 2022, but has since faced a series of headaches.
The factory has been plagued by safety issues, with German magazine Stern reporting last year that Tesla’s factory reported far more safety issues than average, three times as many as a similar Audi factory in Germany. According to Reuters, Tesla later denied claims from the media and the IG Metall union that its safety measures were inadequate.
Some 12,000 workers at the German Gigafactory are now also worried about their job security after Tesla CEO Musk revealed plans to cut 10% of his global workforce.
The Gigafactory has also been criticized by environmentalists for the felling of trees to build and expand the plant and its impact on local water supplies. In March this year, arsonists set fire to high-voltage power poles near the factory, causing a power outage to the Tesla factory and 60,000 nearby residents.
The attack on the factory prompted Musk himself to visit. It’s doubtful whether the missing cup case will cause the same kind of ripples.
