Published
Thu, Mar 28, 2024, 12:15
- Most members of a workers' council WhatsApp group allegedly lost their jobs.
Berlin club ÆDEN has been accused of sacking members of staff who tried to form a workers' council.
The incident, which dates back to October, led to a group of employees—spanning bar staff, cloakroom assistants and night managers—losing their jobs, according to a group of ex-employees who spoke to Resident Advisor. According to the group, staff decided to form the council, known in German as a Betriebsrat, for reasons such as being underpaid, not receiving the medical insurance they were entitled to and having their shifts cancelled at the last minute. ÆDEN declined RA's request for comment.
After the club's management were alerted to the plans, most members of the Betriebsrat WhatsApp group allegedly lost their jobs within a matter of days. In the time since, five staff members have filed unfair dismissal claims, known as Kündigungsschutzklage. Three won their cases, and were either reinstated or financially compensated, while the remaining two cases are ongoing. Some were involved in the launch of Berliner Clubarbeitenden Gewerkschaft, a trade union for Berlin nightclub workers founded last December.
Located on Lohmühleninsel in Kreuzberg, ÆDEN opened its doors in June 2021. The 1000-capacity space hosts club nights, live gigs and art installations.
We'll continue to report on this story as it unfolds.