Since 2019, more than 20 employees have either left or been dismissed from their positions at the municipality. Allegations of workplace bullying have surfaced with the OGBL union publicly criticising the situation. Shortly before Christmas, an employee with 28 years of service was dismissed without notice, and another staff member, part of the staff delegation, was suspended.
RTL.lu reported on the ongoing issues in Contern over the summer. According to the OGBL, the workplace environment is toxic with two individuals filing formal complaints of workplace bullying in late August. Their lawyer, Alex Penning, stated: “My clients primarily accuse the mayor of bullying, but also other individuals from her department and other services. This means not only the mayor and the local council are targeted, but also certain employees.”
CSV Mayor Marion Zovilé-Braquet expressed surprise at the allegations last summer. In response to opposition inquiries, an external investigation was carried out to determine if bullying had occurred, but no evidence was found. The opposition, however, remains sceptical about the investigation’s findings. Affected employees sought assistance from the Inspectorate of Labour (ITM), and as a result, they were either dismissed or suspended. While the exact details of the case remain unclear, it will ultimately be decided in the labour court.
RTL.lu reached out to the mayor for a reaction, and she granted a lengthy interview. In it, she stated: “I can tell you that I have never bullied anyone and never will. I find such behaviour appalling. Am I being accused of bullying? At this point, I wonder who is really being bullied.”
Mayor Zovilé-Braquet, in office since 2017, explained that Contern has grown significantly with an increasing population requiring restructuring and organisational changes within the municipal administration. She believes the allegations stem from two individuals who disagreed with the council’s decision to restructure municipal services. “No one was told they were a bad person, or that they would lose their job and salary. People can still work as before, it’s just that the municipality will be larger and other skills will be added. That’s all,” she said, adding that no one had raised bullying concerns with her directly.
The mayor also pointed out that the departure of 20 employees in recent years – excluding retirees – was an “average” number, a conclusion reached by the investigation. Opposition member Ari Arrensdorff from The Greens, however, disagrees with this assessment, calling the investigation’s findings biased because it was not conducted by an independent body.
Despite the opposition’s scepticism, the coalition continues to support the mayor, and the alderman involved has since been replaced. Mayor Zovilé-Braquet insists that work must continue for the good of the municipality and its people.
“The mood has suffered because of this. I have people sitting here crying, believe it or not, they come to me in tears saying they can’t handle it anymore. I think I’m still here through all of this because of my people. We just had our staff party, or Christmas party, as you want to call it – 90% of the people were there. At the time, I promised them I would stay until all the divisions were resolved, so they could return to work peacefully. For those who hoped I would throw in the towel, I won’t, but I won’t do it because of my people,” Zovilé-Braquet said.
On Monday, the labour court will hear the case regarding the indefinite dismissal. While no decision has been made yet, a date will be set for the case to be heard, potentially later this month. The lawyer is requesting that the dismissal be declared null and void, effectively overturning it. Under the law, individuals who report bullying are theoretically protected from dismissal and cannot be fired for doing so.
