Does the Allianz group holding company Allianz SE under Oliver Bäte hinder the work of works councils? Are company meetings disturbed? Have high-ranking Allianz managers actually tried to provoke fisticuffs with members of the works council in order to use this as a reason for immediate dismissals?
At least that’s what the works council of the in-house reinsurer, Allianz Re, claims. Allianz Re is not a separate company, but part of the Allianz SE holding. However, the unit has its own works council. The employee representatives have summarized their allegations in an eight-page open letter to Bäte, which is accessible to all employees on the intranet.
This is how they describe the situation at the first works meeting of the newly elected works council in June 2022, where there were “considerable obstacles and disruptions”. “For example, in the run-up to the Allianz SE works meeting, it was not possible to provide a (suitable) room.” Furthermore, the question of the hybrid form of the event was controversial until the end. “Allianz SE insisted that all participants be present in person until shortly before the event.”
“Do not lie to me”
At the time of the event, respiratory protection masks were “strongly recommended” by Allianz in Schwabing, the works councils continue to report. But Allianz Re boss Holger Tewes-Kampelmann did not wear a mask when entering the room, despite requests from the works councils present and despite the recommendation of his own company. “The CEO was aware that there were high-risk patients in the room.”
The description of what happened next is even harder. A few minutes before the event, Tewes-Kampelmann stormed into the very small event room selected by Allianz together with two colleagues from the HR department and his personal assistant. “In this context, before the event even started, the CEO stood in front of a works council member who was present, approached him within 10 centimeters and yelled twice in his face: ‘Don’t lie to me!'”
The tumult he caused made a start impossible. “The chair of the works council first had to yell at Mr. Tewes-Kampelmann before the works meeting could begin.”
The works council now wants to commission a security service
The works councils have an explanation for the boss’s actions: “It is documented and confirmed by e-mail without contradiction that the CEO of Allianz SE Re wanted to provoke physical violence with his behavior with the aim of being able to terminate the works council without notice.” Tewes-Kampelmann was verbally confronted with this statement in front of witnesses. The boss replied with a grin that he hadn’t touched the works council. The works council wants to hire a security service for the next works meeting or ask for police protection.
Tewes-Kampelmann sees things very differently. “We firmly reject these allegations,” he told the SZ. Stefan Britz, Head of Human Resources at Allianz SE, adds: “The compliance department of the Allianz Group carried out an investigation into the alleged incidents at the works meeting, and they also spoke to those present at the event.” The result: “As a result, the allegations were assessed as unfounded.” The works council was not available for the SZ.
Whatever exactly happened at this works meeting: The mood between the works council under its chairman Simone Wohlmut and the company management under Tewes-Kampelmann is at its lowest point. The group is said to have favored another list in the election at the beginning of the year and gave it assistance, the works council claims in its letter. Group boss Bäte called on the workforce to vote before the election. “It’s very important that you choose the people who really work with us to make this company better.” The company saw this as an attempt to promote certain candidates who might have been easier to nurture than the current employee representation. But Wohlmut has support from the workforce and was re-elected chair of the works council.
Allianz has 155,000 employees. 1,750 of them work at the parent company Allianz SE. Allianz Re, which bundles multi-billion-dollar reinsurance within the Group and also works for other insurers, employs 220 highly qualified specialists at its Munich location. The group has a huge problem with them.
Both sides are conducting numerous labor court cases against each other. The company now communicates almost exclusively through law firms with the employee representatives, the employee representatives claim. Works council members complain that salary adjustments have not been adequately taken into account.
The body, in turn, blocks vacancies, according to those close to management. This endangers the business and the health of employees who are overworked.
Tewes-Kampelmann inherited the problems from his predecessor Amer Ahmed, who left the company at the end of April 2021 and was considered to be rather difficult when dealing with employees.
Apparently, the change of boss hasn’t changed anything fundamental – possibly also because Tewes-Kampelmann was already a member of the management board and was therefore involved in the long-standing disputes.
The boss accuses the works councils of taking a confrontational course
He doesn’t sound very optimistic when it comes to future cooperation with the works council. “If both sides don’t want to cooperate, then it is very difficult to achieve the desired partnership,” he said. He accuses the works councils of taking a confrontational course. In their open letter they do the same to management.
“Both sides have reached a level that is extraordinary,” said Cologne labor lawyer Thomas Klaes after reviewing the open letter. Klaes knows his stuff: As a lawyer, he mainly represents works councils, but is not involved in the dispute at Allianz Re.
“If the employer tries to sabotage, that’s not a good move,” he commented on the descriptions. However: “On some points in the open letter I thought the works council might be overestimating its competencies.”
Works constitution law stipulates that both sides always seek a consensus. “But there are companies where it’s not lived that way.” His advice to both sides: “You should never shoot sparrows with cannons.”