Court judgment causes unrest in the corporations

Berlin, Dusseldorf The process for the high payment of the former VW works council chief Bernd Osterloh has a surprising aftermath. In its judgment, the Regional Court of Braunschweig set very narrow limits for the remuneration of works councils. These should not earn more than they did in their last position before they were elected, as the expanded judgment shows. This is available to the Handelsblatt. Osterloh should therefore have received just under 50,000 euros per year instead of 750,000 euros at the top.

The reasoning is surprising. In the process, the judges acquitted four VW managers in September 2021. The public prosecutor had accused them of infidelity at the expense of the company. The prosecutors argued that the high wages paid to Osterloh and other works council members had caused damage to the Volkswagen Group amounting to several million euros over the years.