Five works council members have already left the dosing pump manufacturer ProMinent in Heidelberg. Three could no longer stand it and signed a severance agreement. Two, including the former works council chair, were fired and shown the door—even though the labor court ruled that the works council chair’s termination was unlawful. His successor and his deputy resigned after just two months. Two months later, the next works council chair gave up.
Employees and works council members at ProMinent report threats, warnings, and severance offers. Out of fear, they prefer to remain anonymous.
The Works Council Is in the Way
For years, ProMinent Managing Director Andreas Dulger has been railing against the works council. He has repeatedly claimed that the works council members are “losers” who get nothing done and only cost money. Last year, the situation escalated once again. Dulger urged employees to run against the works council on their own slates in the works council election because the works council was not cooperating “on important issues for the future.”
Clearly, the works council has consistently stood in the way—standing up for employees and opposing spin-offs and relocations—with the Czech Republic and China, for example, being discussed as potential destinations where Prominent is investing heavily. The works council is pushing for fair pay: there are departments without collective bargaining agreements, significant pay disparities for the same work, and unpaid overtime. And the works council insists on compliance with occupational safety and health regulations and criticizes the increasing workload. For example, it publicly applied pressure when, at the end of 2021, numerous employees at the new service center contracted COVID-19 because the employer had them work in offices that were far too cramped.
In short: The works council is simply fulfilling its legal mandate. But that annoys the boss. He’s cracking down harshly, in “Wild West style,” criticizes Mirko Geiger, chief representative of IG Metall Heidelberg. “Anyone who doesn’t toe the line gets the boot.”
The Dulgers Earn Millions
Particularly controversial: Managing Director Andreas Dulger is the brother of Rainer Dulger, president of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), who is a co-owner. Andreas owns 52 percent of Prominent, Rainer 48 percent.
Unlike his brother, Rainer Dulger has publicly stated that cooperation with the works council is going well and explicitly cited the COVID-19 crisis in an interview. All of this is uncomfortable for the employers’ association president, who is generally known as a serious figure. Yet he told the works council in a meeting that there was nothing he could do about it. The boss is his brother.
That said, Rainer also earns millions every year from Prominent, and the trend is upward. In ten years, profits have more than doubled. Returns remain stable in the double-digit percentage range. Yet he refuses to take any action against the harassment of works council members.
“We’ve had countless discussions and tried to find peaceful solutions,” explains Mirko Geiger. “But our patience has now run out. Prominent must respect the legal right to co-determination —and at the very least pay decent severance packages to the affected works council members.”
Meanwhile, the harassment of works council members at Prominent continues to spread. Investigative journalist Günther Wallraff has now written an open letter to Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil. In it, he condemns the serious violations of workers’ rights at ProMinent and calls for tougher legal penalties for works council harassment, union busting, and bossing. You can support and sign this letter.
Against works council bullying at Prominent:SignGünther Wallraff’s letter to Federal Labor Minister Heilhere
Background on workplace council bullying at ProMinent: What employees are reporting.
