Dispute over company pension: RBB demands money back from Schlesinger

Dispute over company pension
RBB demands money back from Schlesinger

04/14/2023, 8:50 p.m

The Schlesinger cause is far from over for the RBB. The public broadcaster and the ousted artistic director are arguing about their company pension in a Berlin court. Now the counterclaim.

According to the court, the crisis-ridden ARD broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) is demanding money back from the director Patricia Schlesinger, who was fired without notice. A spokeswoman for the Berlin Regional Court announced that the public media company was demanding the repayment of variable remuneration. The exact amount was not given by the court.

According to the court, this is a so-called counterclaim. This is therefore related to an existing lawsuit, which in turn had been filed by the ex-broadcaster Schlesinger and which is directed against the RBB. Her media lawyer announced in February that it was about a company pension and that 18,384.54 euros per month had been sued.

According to information provided by the court at the time, the plaintiff demanded a pension on the basis of a terminated employment relationship. Retirement benefit means that, under certain conditions, you will receive money from your previous employer even after your employment relationship has ended. The RBB had not commented on the procedure at the time. A hearing date is not yet known.

Schlesinger already has a new job

About a week ago, Schlesinger’s media lawyer, Ralf Höcker, announced that his client’s company pension claim would be reduced because the 61-year-old had a new job for a few weeks. “She works for an international company at its Hamburg and Berlin locations. She travels a lot in this role.” The lawyer did not name the company or Schlesinger’s position.

He also did not share the amount by which the claim on the RBB is reduced. The lawyer continued: “Her entitlement to payment of a company pension, which she has worked for over 30 years for public broadcasting, is reduced because part of her salary is offset against the pension entitlement.”

The ARD broadcaster, which is financed by radio contributions from citizens and companies, fell into a deep crisis in the summer of 2022. Allegations of nepotism and waste arose. Schlesinger was dismissed without notice. At the center of the scandal is the ex-director and the resigned station supervisor Wolf-Dieter Wolf. Both rejected allegations. The Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating, the presumption of innocence applies. In the midst of the scandal, personnel policy and a non-transparent bonus system for executives at the station also came into focus, which was then abolished.