Tesla salary increase for Gigafactory Grünheide planned for August

Not a day without news from the Tesla Gigafactory Grünheide. After employees had recently complained about salaries that were too low, the US carmaker has now relented. The Tesla salary increase for the Gigafactory near Berlin is coming. However, only after the break in operations in August.

Tesla salary increase decided

Around 5,000 employees at the Gigafactory in Brandenburg have reason to rejoice, because the Tesla salary increase for all production employees is a done deal. Starting in August, a full six percent pay increase beckons, as the automaker has confirmed to Tagesspielgel and the Handelsblatt reports.

Executives, however, are going away empty-handed, according to the report. Just a few weeks ago, complaints were made by employees that salaries at Tesla in Grünheide were about 20 percent below those paid by other automakers for a similar position.

It’s no wonder that, according to IG Metall, there was resentment among employees and unrest within the workforce. Tesla is now working to counter this and is increasing salaries by six percent. However, there is still supposed to be a crisis within the workforce.

Moreover, there is still no collective bargaining agreement. The starting salary in the Tesla Gigafactory Grünheide is 2,700 euros gross per month for unskilled workers, while with relevant vocational training already around 3,500 euros would be paid in monthly gross wages. This had already confirmed Jochem Freyer, head of the Employment Agency in Frankfurt (Oder), in 2020 and called the salaries “cracker”.

A comparison using Mercedes-Benz as an example shows that the Tesla salary is not that far below that of the competition. As bw24 revealed just a few days ago with reference to a headhunter, one receives a gross salary of around 3,700 euros per month at the Stuttgart-based car brand with the star in its logo after training.

Salary increase after break in operations

Meanwhile, the assembly lines at the Grünheide plant have been at a standstill since yesterday. As part of a two-week break in operations, Tesla plans to increase production speed and improve workflows by July 22.

Then, presumably directly from 01 August, salaries are to be raised by six percent. Currently, the Tesla Gigafactory is the largest industrial employer in the region near the German capital Berlin, with around 5,000 employees.

However, it is doubtful whether the new salary increase will enable the company to reach its target of 12,000 employees by the end of 2022. But it will certainly make the jobs at Tesla more attractive. At least, if there are no other problems such as production defects or dangers to the environment.