The fight to maintain the maternity clinic in Neuperlach is spreading in new circles: One of the midwives there, Leonie Lieb, stands before the labor court in Schwabing and says: “I have to defend myself.” She filed a lawsuit against her employer, the Munich Clinic (MüK), from which she received a warning in February. The MüK should withdraw the warning, saying it is “illegitimate and untenable,” says the 28-year-old.
The occasion is an interview that the midwife gave to the left-wing daily newspaper Young world at the beginning of February. She should have coordinated with her employer before media contact, which she did not do, says MüK. This was followed by the warning. A “blatant attempt at intimidation,” says Lieb. The MüK didn’t like her commitment, she says.
In the interview, Lieb criticizes the municipal Munich Clinic for its renovation plans. They originally planned to close the Neuperlach obstetrics clinic in 2024 and merge it with the obstetrics clinic in the Harlaching hospital. A team of midwives and pediatric nurses in Neuperlach, including Lieb, then collected more than 23,000 signatures in a petition against these plans. City politics gave in in January of this year: the green-red coalition promised to ensure an extension. The clinic appears to be saved until 2028. However, a decision from the city council is still missing.
The midwife Leonie Lieb stands before the labor court in Schwabing and says: “I have to defend myself.”
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The midwife sees the warning as a threat to her entire team, which was committed to opposing the restructuring plans. She is suing MüK and demands that the warning be withdrawn. “I want to show that you can take action against poor working conditions.”
MüK denies that the warning was issued because of its commitment to the Neuperlach delivery room. “It is true that she repeatedly violated a service instruction, despite multiple tips and conversations,” said a spokesman. “This does not restrict statements, but requires that a vote be taken before media contact.” In addition, the warning will be removed from the personnel file by mid-February next year at the latest.
A large crowd of people is standing in front of the labor court on Winzererstrasse, many holding up flags and banners. Four police officers watch the protest rally from the corner. “We want to show the MüK that we won’t let ourselves be silenced when we campaign for better working conditions,” says Nadine Adlich from Verdi, who organized the rally. The chairwoman of the general works council at the Munich Clinic, Ingrid Greif, also supports Lieb: They want to make an example of her and thus send a message to all employees that it is dangerous to question the restructuring plans, says Greif. The midwife’s complaint is a complaint for the entire staff: “She does it for all of us!”
The lawyer sees the right to freedom of expression violated
Leonie Lieb herself speaks of so-called union busting. In English, the term stands for the systematic suppression of employee representation, for example when employees want to organize themselves into a union. “I won’t put up with that,” said Lieb. Her lawyer Timo Winter also sees his client’s right to freedom of expression violated here. He is of the opinion that the court should fundamentally decide whether instructions such as those to which the MüK refers are appropriate.
Everything happens very quickly in the courtroom. The judge is still trying to clarify the matter by suggesting a settlement: the warning could be removed from the personnel file by November 30th. But the parties won’t agree to that – and the judge demands statements by the end of the month. A further date for the hearing will also be determined. The meeting ended after just seven minutes – and it is clear: Lieb will continue to fight.