Validity of termination; burden of proof and review standards in labor law disputes

The Federal Labor Court reversed the decision of the Düsseldorf Regional Labor Court and dismissed the appeal, thereby upholding the Essen Labor Court’s initial judgment which rejected the plaintiff’s claims; the plaintiff bears all costs for the appeal and revision proceedings. The dispute concerned a labor law claim challenging the effectiveness of a termination, where the plaintiff sought relief against the defendant employer. The decisive legal basis determined that the plaintiff’s arguments were meritless, as the lower instance correctly found the termination valid, resulting in a complete victory for the defendant on all procedural levels addressed by the final judgment.