Court Victory Secures Paid-Time Works Council Meetings for Security Firm Staff
Published on 08/12/2026 at 10:32 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The Federal Labour Court in Erfurt has ended a protracted legal battle between security provider DSW and the union Verdi, ruling that works council meetings may be held during paid working hours. The decision, which became final on 11 August 2026, marks the conclusion of a dispute that had cast a shadow over employee representation at the company.
Three Courts, One Outcome
DSW exhausted every legal avenue available to it, but the outcome never changed. The company's final appeal was dismissed on 5 August 2026 by the court's 7th Senate under case number 7 ABR 14/25. This followed losses in both lower instances, meaning DSW now stands defeated across all three levels of the German judiciary.
The judges rejected the employer's characterisation of the planned gatherings as an unacceptable disruption to business operations. Instead, they affirmed that the works council holds organisational authority when it comes to convening staff meetings, a principle that carries particular weight for the aviation security and private security sectors, where shift patterns and dispersed work sites have historically complicated direct communication between representatives and workers.
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A Blueprint for Balanced Scheduling
At the heart of the case was a carefully structured proposal put forward by DSW's works council. Rather than demanding unrestricted meeting rights, the employee representatives had designed a framework that balanced their needs against the company's operational realities.
The plan capped participation at 80 employees per session, drawn from a total workforce of roughly 1,400. Meetings were limited to four hours each, with no more than 12 sessions permitted per quarter. Recognising the seasonal pressures facing security services at travel hubs, the works council also agreed to avoid scheduling any meetings during North Rhine-Westphalia's school holidays. A three-month notice period for each gathering provided additional predictability for management planning.
The Federal Labour Court deemed these parameters both lawful and proportionate, effectively endorsing the works council's willingness to accommodate employer concerns while asserting its statutory rights.
Union Claims Victory After Management Pressure Campaign
Verdi's leadership framed the outcome as a decisive win for workplace democracy. In the run-up to the ruling, DSW management had warned employees that attending works council meetings could trigger disciplinary action. That threat has now been withdrawn, with the company bound by the court's final judgment.
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The union stressed that the ruling guarantees effective communication between worker representatives and staff even in operations characterised by shift work and numerous remote locations. For DSW employees, the practical consequence is straightforward: participation in works council assemblies during paid hours is now protected, and the legal uncertainty that once hung over such gatherings has been removed entirely.
