SECTION VI. UNFAIR DISMISSAL BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF

ithout the ability to hold a job, a man cannot feed his family, finance his children’s education or pay his hospital bills. In short, he cannot survive.

1990: Author Mr. M. wrote books for the publishing house Verlag Moderne Industrie. When the company found out that Mr. M. is a Scientologist, they fired him and withdrew all his books from the market.

1990, Frankfurt: Civil Engineer Mr. B. worked for Digital Equipment near Frankfurt. He was fired because he is a Scientologist. The reason given was “disturbance of the working climate.”

April 1990, Hanover: Mrs. F. was fired by the company Helmke, in Hanover, after it was learned she is a Scientologist. The company claimed that she promoted Scientology during working hours. Even though a court proceeding showed that these accusations were unfounded, her dismissal remained in force.

March 1991: A member of the Church of Scientology and systems advisor at the computer company, Quitmann, was dismissed because of his Scientology membership. Newspaper articles had been shown to the company owner to “enlighten” him about the Church of Scientology with the intention of getting the Scientologist fired.

April 1991: An apprentice from Ulm was fired without notice by his company, Reck Machine Buildings, because of his membership in the Church of Scientology. First, he was called into the managing director’s office and asked to resign from the Church. When he refused, the manager demanded an explanation of his membership in front of the assembled staff. The manager then asked the staff to vote, by a show of hands, on whether the apprentice should be fired. As the manager promptly raised his own hand, the rest of the staff did not dare vote against it.

August 1991, Kiel: Mr. Z., managing director of a funeral insurance company in Kiel, was dismissed due to his membership in the Church of Scientology and despite agreement by the board that his management was conscientious and successful. A known opponent and anti-Scientology agitator from Ulm had joined the corporation in Kiel a few days previously to discredit Mr. Z. publicly at the board meeting. Mr. Z. filed a suit against his dismissal, won it and the company had to pay him damages.

August 1991: Mr. S., 32 years old and a member of the Church of Scientology, began work as a male nurse in July 1991. His boss found out that he was a Scientologist and told him that if this fact became known he would fire him. Some time afterward, Mr. S. helped a patient who was suffering from severe headaches by applying a simple Scientology spiritual healing procedure known as an “assist.” The patient was amazed about the resulting “miracle” and asked Mr. S. what this was all about. Mr. S. told her about Scientology. One week later he was fired.

August 1991: Mr. S. was a director and a share holder of company K, a real estate company. When it was learned that he was a Scientologist, the managing director and the rest of the shareholders met and passed a resolution to dismiss him as director, confiscate his shares and exclude him from the company.

October 1991, Seesen: Mr. N. from Schwabhausen, reputable citizen and managing director of a company in Seesen, was dismissed on the grounds that “it is unacceptable to the public that the Managing Director is active as a Scientologist when the government at the same time is working to ban [Scientology].”

Unfair dismissal because of religious belief continued...