The Court of Appeal has ordered the reinstatement of a long-serving Contern municipal worker, ruling his dismissal without notice over alleged bullying reports last year was unlawful.
After drama broke out in the municipality of Contern amid the dismissal without notice of a long-standing worker, the Court of Appeal has now ordered his reinstatement. Initially, the court of first instance had rejected the long-serving municipal worker's request to annul his dismissal.
At the time, the ruling stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove he had been fired for reporting alleged bullying within the administration.
However, the Court of Appeal has now overturned that decision: the man, who has worked at the municipality of Contern since 1996, was dismissed without notice in December 2024. The court found that the dismissal was unlawful and ordered that he be reinstated in his position and receive retroactive salary payments.
The worker in question had previously been employed at the municipal atelier. In February, several staff members from this body had sent an official letter expressing support to the council of aldermen, claiming that the work atmosphere had improved significantly since the worker's departure and stated that they no longer felt afraid to come to work.
In a related case, another employee – who was also part of the staff delegation – was suspended. While their situation differs due to their role as an elected staff representative, the court had already ruled in May that they must continue to receive their salary.
