The Lüneburg labor court has approved the immediate dismissal of the chairman of the works council at Amazon in Winsen/Luhe in the Harburg district. “It was a serious breach of duty,” said presiding judge Ralf Ermel on Wednesday about the man’s absence during a training congress in Bonn in November 2022. It was about the suspicion of working time fraud because the chairman of the works council, Detlev Börs, did not appear on the second day.
According to his own statements, he worked for hours on the works council in a café in Düsseldorf and stayed with his ex-wife. As a full-time chairman of the works council, he can also work remotely. “It wasn’t necessary works council work, it couldn’t be postponed,” added Ermel. The justification that he met his ex-wife and also worked in her apartment was not convincing and plausible.
Amazon paid more than 2000 euros for travel, accommodation and event costs. Because there is special protection against dismissal for works councils, the council must agree to the dismissal of the head. Because he did not do this, the logistics group had to fight for approval in court. Börs can still go to the regional labor court. “Yes I will,” he announced.
Amazon has more than 1900 employees in Winsen. Around 100,000 packages leave the factory every day. According to the Verdi union, there are repeated disputes between the company and works councils at various locations.
Because a member in Achim near Bremen left the workplace for several hours at the invitation of Prime Minister Stephan Weil and Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, he said he was fired. The works council agreed. A court hearing is scheduled for May.
“Amazon sends its own people into the race for every works council election, employer-oriented managers and executives,” explained Nonni Morisse, Verdi Secretary for Amazon in Lower Saxony. In June, a conciliation hearing is pending before the labor court in Hanover because the employment contract of a works council member in Wunstorf was not given a permanent term.(dpa)