Status: 22.09.2023, 05:25 a.m.
By: Moritz Bletzinger
CommentsShare
Expensive defeat in court: Susann Lange has to give up a pension of 1.8 million euros. © Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance/dpa
It's about 1.8 million euros: The former RBB director Susann Lange does not get a pension. The labour court declared her contract to be "immoral".
Berlin – She was dismissed without notice and was still supposed to continue earning royally. But now Susann Lange had to suffer a major setback before the Berlin Labor Court: The court declared her employment contract with Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) immoral and thus invalid.
Susann Lange loses in court: 1.8 million euros pension cancelled
Lange was legal director at RBB and had lost her job in the wake of the Schlesinger affair. By the time she retired, she would have received 1.8 million euros in retirement despite her dismissal. She herself did not appear in court.
The court saw a "gross disproportion between performance and consideration," reports RBB. In addition, it is not the task of a public broadcaster to pay high salaries. Rather, he had to commit himself to economy and efficiency. Before the termination, Lange had collected 198,900 euros in salary and 39,195 euros in bonuses.
Judge Simon Coenen called the Lange Treaty a "usury-like legal transaction". Lange could not only have pocketed a total of 1.8 million euros by the time he retired, but could also have earned up to 100,000 euros without the amount being taken into account.
Fired RBB director must repay ARD allowance – Judge criticizes broadcaster for monster contracts
The money is gone, but for Lange it gets even worse: The 8500 euros, which she had received as an ARD allowance, she has to repay – plus interest.
"Immoral – that's the biggest slap you can get. That's illegal to the power of ten, so to speak," labor lawyer Pascal Croset classifies the verdict for Business Insider. The decision can also be seen as a criticism of RBB. Judge Coenen had reprimanded the broadcaster during the reading for not having complied with principles. However, the verdict is not yet final, both sides can appeal. Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis described the scandal at RBB as systemic. (moe)
