A labor dispute is brewing at Meyer Werft shipyard in papenburg, Germany, as a dozen employees are suing the company following their abrupt dismissals. The firings stem from allegations of time fraud related to commutes between the Papenburg and Wismar facilities during construction of the “Disney Adventure” cruise ship, raising questions about labor practices at the shipyard, which was recently rescued from the brink of insolvency. The Lingen Labor Court is currently reviewing the cases, including those involving protected worker representatives, with a decision expected by the end of March.
Stand: 12.12.2025 08:55 Uhr
Several employees at the Meyer Werft shipyard have reportedly been fired without notice following allegations of discrepancies in work time records. Workers have filed lawsuits in response.
The Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung first reported the story. Meyer Werft has confirmed that proceedings are pending before the Lingen Labor Court. The court stated that the 12 cases involve questions of alleged time fraud by shipyard workers, against whom the dismissed employees have now filed suit. According to reports, the 12 cases involve workers who commuted between Papenburg and Wismar during the construction of the “Disney Adventure” cruise ship, allegedly recording more work hours than they actually completed.
Dismissals at Meyer Werft: Decision Expected Next Year
The Lingen Labor Court is also handling two cases involving youth and trainee representatives, who are afforded special protection and cannot be terminated without the approval of the works council. The Meyer Werft works council did not give its approval, the court said. A so-called consent replacement procedure is now underway, allowing the court to replace the missing consent of the works council if it deems appropriate. Only then would Meyer Werft be permitted to issue terminations to the two youth and trainee representatives. A decision in the cases is expected by the end of March.
