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(AWP Alliance News) - Volkswagen must pay a manager dismissed for allegedly disclosing internal information to the authorities around ?300,000 ($334,000) in back pay, the Braunschweig Labour Court ruled on Friday.
VW dismissed the man because it believed he had passed on internal information to various outside bodies, including the state police.
A legal dispute between Volkswagen and two managers has been working its way through Germany's labour court system.
In September, the same court awarded the second manager approximately ?200,000 in back pay.
In both cases, VW must pay the managers for the notice periods they should have received.
The court also rejected Volkswagen's demand in this case for reimbursement of legal costs amounting to approximately ?380,000, among other claims.
VW said it dismissed the men for allegedly passing internal audit reports concerning its Crafter and Grand California models to the media and public authorities without authorization. The company considered this a serious breach of their duties.
A Volkswagen spokesperson said the company expressly disagreed with the labour court's assessment. VW intends to have the decision reviewed by the Higher Labour Court in Hanover.
The two claimants, both senior managers, are relying on Germany's Whistleblower Protection Act.
The men said they felt pressured and disadvantaged after reporting alleged misconduct, initially through internal channels and later to external authorities.
Their separate claim for millions of euros in damages was rejected by both the Braunschweig Labour Court and the Lower Saxony Labour Court. That case is now set to go before the Federal Labour Court.
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