Uitspraken

Het verloop van de procedure blijkt uit het volgende.

Op 28 december 2017 heeft de advocaat van [Eiser] een verzoekschrift (met zaaknummer C/05/331354 / HA RK 17-328) met producties ingediend onder meer inhoudende:

Op 2 februari 2018 heeft de advocaat van Ifo een verweerschrift, tevens inhoudende een voorwaardelijk verzoekschrift ex artikel 7:671b BW, met producties ingediend, waarin onder meer als verweer is vermeld dat de primaire vordering verkeerd is ingeleid.

Bij brief van 9 februari 2018 heeft de advocaat van [Eiser] de producties 15 t/m 18 overgelegd.

Op 13 februari 2018 heeft de mondelinge behandeling plaatsgevonden, gedurende welke de advocaten van partijen het woord hebben gevoerd aan de hand van pleitnotities.

De zaak is vervolgens voor drie weken aangehouden voor overleg tussen partijen.

Bij e-mailberichten van 6 maart 2018 hebben de advocaten van partijen aangegeven dat het overleg niet tot overeenstemming heeft geleid.

Bestuur

Artikel 8

(…)

2. De bestuurders worden door de algemene vergadering benoemd en kunnen te allen tijde door de algemene vergadering worden geschorst en ontslagen.

Besluitvorming buiten vergadering

Artikel 15

1. Besluitvorming van aandeelhouders kan op andere wijze dan in een vergadering geschieden, mits alle vergadergerechtigden met deze wijze van besluitvorming schriftelijk of langs elektronische weg hebben ingestemd. De stemmen worden schriftelijk uitgebracht. Aan het vereiste van schriftelijkheid van de stemmen wordt tevens voldaan indien het besluit onder vermelding van de wijze waarop ieder der aandeelhouders heeft gestemd schriftelijk of elektronisch is vastgelegd. De bestuurder wordt voorafgaand aan de besluitvorming in de gelegenheid gesteld om advies uit te brengen.

[Eiser] will step back from the post as general manager of IFO Nederland

Designated general manager [Naam C]

[Eiser] expresses his will tot keep on working at IFO Nederland in het field of paint inspections.

He will support [Naam C] in her new position.

A suitable work title must be found and it must be clear that the responsbility for the company is in hand of the general manager.

The change will be effective in September 2017 after an organized meeting in Culemborg in order to prepare:

- Organization scheme of the company

- strategy and targets

- New position and contract [Eiser]

- Timetable for change

Afterwards the meeting the staff members have to be informed about the changes.

[Eiser] and I talked on the phone this morning and I was glad to hear that to step back as director he chooses for his own health. We agreed that will be the message to communicate with the rest of the world (when the time is there to tell other people). He also confirmed he will support me and I’m very happy with that.

[Eiser] and I will have a meeting together to discuss several things as preparation for the meeting in September with the four of us ([Eiser], [Naam A], [Naam B] and I) and after that with the Dutch employees. I propose to do that in the second week of September. What about 11/12 September; is that convenient for you [Naam A] and [Naam B]? (…)

As you know and as discussed several times before (most recently on August 8th 2017), the situation and results of IFO Nederland B.V. have been and are still disappointing and worrying. IFO Nederland B.V. sustains losses for too long now. Changes and improvements are necessary and unavoidable. As discussed with you and confirmed by you, among other things, the turnover needs to be increased and the costs need to be reduced. However, we still don’t see any improvement.

This has been discussed with you in detail several times. However, you were not able to turn things to the better. The sole shareholder had therefore lost its confidence in you as managing director for IFO Nederland B.V.

Therefore, certain steps and measures are unavoidable. One of the first measures to be taken is a change of management. The sole shareholder is planning to appoint [Naam C] as a new managing director of the company and to dismiss you a managing director of IFO Nederland B.V.. Besides that, the sole shareholder is planning to put you on garden leave.

We have informed you about this plan today and briefly discussed the plan with you. Hereby, we invite you once more, to give your opinion on those plans in writing within 5 days from now, therefore on 16 September 2017 the latest.

As discussed before, there migth be options for another position for you within IFO Nederland B.V.. However, for now, the sole shareholder sees itself forced to dismiss you as managing director of IFO Nederland B.V. and to appoint a new managing director.

Herewith IFO offers you a new employment contract with the following outlines:

- Working for IFO Nederland as senior inspector and consultant

- Starting October 2nd

- A permanent contract without probationary period

- Doing acquisition (about 20%) and paint inspections (about 80%)

- 32 – 40 hours a week, to define according your preference

- A salary of € 5.075,- per month based on 40hrs a week, excluding 8% holiday pay

- 30 holidays per calender year

- Use of a company car

If you accept these terms, we will work it out in a complete employment contract.

If you prefer a freelancer contract we can talk about that also.

Dear Mr [Naam A],

Dear [Naam A],

Dear shareholders,

Thanks for your clear statement concerning my functioning as managing director of IFO

Netherlands.

And I strongly protest against this.

Anyway the words as “loss of confidence” etc are harsh and hurting, this is probably the legal

way of showing that you care.

I found myself really left alone without much back up from everyone, [Naam C] sick, [naam D] sick,

a lot of personal losses and in the end almost deaf on one ear and tinnitus.

Also the yearly figures from bookkeeping ([Naam E]) and later bookkeeping in Germany came too late.

Yearly figures produced by [Naam E] (twice) 2013 came in October/November 2014.

Yearly figures 2014 produced by [Naam E] and [Naam E] came much earlier; end of September 2015.

Yearly Figures 2015 also far too late.

Yearly figures 2016, are not known yet.!

Furthermore Bookkeeping did not provide me with the necessary tools to steer on these figures and made improvements.

We tried (always after mutual approval from shareholders) a lot of improvements.

E.g.The meeting on August 8th 2017 you are referring was ok at first; we made a profit of 25 K during the first 7 months. Everybody happy, including me.

As all the necessary data (timesheets, invoicing etc) were in Germany at the disposal of the German bookkeeping department. I thought we were on the right way, Everybody did.

Moments later the bookkeeping forgot to deal with the overtime, hence the timesheets were not read carefully enough and the profit evaporated.

From February on I made sure the turnover was sufficient, we all decided that this should be at least 70 K per month so we could make a little profit. This happened since then. I even got approvals from the share holders and pats on the shoulder. Well done [Eiser]………!

I actually trusted this.

Right after the receipt of this document I collapsed, tired, dead tired and completely empty. I called in sick and I still am.

On the other hand I am pleased that IFO gives me the opportunity to offer me another technical position and I will consider this option off course.

As I stated during our meeting I will back up [Naam C] as much as I can because I know how hard it can be. I am, however, very much afraid about her functioning considering her back ground of burn outs.

But to finalize things now I will come back with more statements after my week in Greece as I am officially sick. The doctor approves with the procedure. So I am sick. And officially ask to make an official comment after this (end of September) and not within the 5 days your legal advisor suggests.

I received your letter. For the moment I wish you all the best and hope your health will be better very soon. We will have further discussion when you are back from Greece.

Many thanks for your e-mail of 14 September 2017 regarding the reaction to our meeting and our letter of 11 September 2017.

I can understand very well that the message that your directorship and employment agreement might be ended hit you hard.

There is no doubt that you have always been loyal to IFO Nederland B.V. and its shareholders. You have worked hard and did the best you could. We really appreciate that you tried.

However, we also see that even though you try and work very hard, the situation of IFO Nederland BV. does not improve. In your opinion, the reasons for that are extemal. However, we believe that the cause is internal. The managing director of a company is in charge of the organization and financial

figures of the company. The managing director should know before - and not hear - from external parties how good or bad the financial figures are. That of course - requires a thorough organization of the bookkeeping. And even though you received a lot of support from Germany, you were still not able to organize as much as needed. What you describe, hits the nail of the problem on the head: we expect you to be in control and to organize properly and instead of managing, you expect others to do

that for you.

Nevertheless, we will take your remarks into consideration. We have an internal meeting planned for Monday 18 September 2017 discuss this matter in more detail.

We will get back to you after the meeting.

Op 18 september 2017 is door de aandeelhouder van Ifo (Ifo GmbH) buiten vergadering, schriftelijk en met algemene stemmen besloten om [Eiser] per direct als statutair bestuurder te ontslaan, alsook dat de arbeidsovereenkomst van [Eiser] per 31 oktober 2017 zal eindigen. Bij brief van 18 september 2017, verstuurd per e-mail, heeft [Naam A] [Eiser] dit als volgt medegedeeld:

We refer to our e-mail of 15 September 2017 and our earlier correspondence.

As you know, the management of the shareholder has discussed IFO Nederland B.V. and the

management situation once more today. During that meeting also your remarks were discussed.

As said before, we very much appreciate your effort. We are still of the opinion that you are excellent

when it comes down to technical matters, but do - unfortunately - not meet our requirements when it

comes down to manage IFO Nederland B.V. A managing director needs to be in control of the

organization and the financial figures of the company. Unfortunately, experience shows that are not

able to do that. And we have lost confidence that this could change in the future. We know that you

don’t agree with that, but nevertheless decided to replace the management. The respective

shareholder’s resolution is attached.

That means that as off today, you are no longer managing director of IFO Nederland B.V. Your

employment agreement ends - with observation of the notice period - on 1 November 2017. We are

of the opinion that a separate termination of your employment agreement is not needed. In case a

separate termination should be required, this letter has to be considered as a termination letter of your

employment per 1 November 2017.

We assume that you will be back in the office on 25 September 2017. We are - of course - still open

for discussions on a new job within IFO Nederland B.V. starting 1 November 2017.

This is to confirm my telecom with [Naam C] this morning after I had some info from my lawyer concerning my return tot IFO Netherlands as inspector or corrosion engineer.

My Lawyer told me that your lawyer said that I refused to come back to IFO after I have recovered.

I strongly protest against that. And I do no know who told her this.

It is still my intention to come back as soon as I am recovered from my illness.

On the other hand I do not think that as a whole my health is improving due to the present circumstances.

[Naam C] told me to deliver car, phone and computer tomorrow morning at 11.00 hrs. Which I do off course under protest. After all these items belong to IFO NL.

I am on the other hand very sorry to say that things seem to move in the wrong direction. It cannot be that we are talking through lawyers and not to each other anymore.

After all I am sick and my salary and pension is covered by the insurance from IFO NL. Why not let me become better and start in a new position.

No worries, no extra costs for ifo and I have a normal income during the period of illness.

Op 19 december 2017 heeft Ifo [Eiser] een transitievergoeding betaald van

€ 9.866,00 bruto.

[Eiser] vordert dat de rechtbank bij vonnis, voor zover mogelijk uitvoerbaar bij voorraad:

I. voor recht verklaart dat het ontslagbesluit niet rechtsgeldig is genomen en nietig is, althans vernietigt,

II. Ifo gebiedt om [Eiser] binnen 24 uur na dit vonnis het bruto maandsalaris, te vermeerderen met vakantietoeslag en overige emolumenten, aan [Eiser] te (blijven) voldoen

vanaf 1 november 2017 tot de datum waarop de arbeidsovereenkomst rechtsgeldig is komen te eindigen,

III. Ifo veroordeelt tot betaling aan [Eiser] van de wettelijke handelsrente ex artikel 7:625 BW te rekenen over het bedrag aan salaris bedoeld in sub II hierboven vanaf het tijdstip van opeisbaarheid tot aan de dag van algehele voldoening,

IV. Ifo gebiedt [Eiser] binnen 24 uur na dit vonnis toe te laten tot haar bedrijf en hem – zodra hij hersteld is – daar in de gelegenheid te stellen de bedongen werkzaamheden te verrichten, op straffe van verbeurte van een dwangsom van € 1.000,00 voor iedere dag dat Ifo in gebreke blijft aan dit vonnis te voldoen,

V. Ifo veroordeelt tot betaling aan [Eiser] van de wettelijke rente ex artikel 6:119 BW over: de bedragen bedoeld in sub II. en III. hierboven vanaf het tijdstip van opeisbaarheid van de hiervoor genoemde bedragen tot aan de dag van algehele voldoening,

VI. Ifo veroordeelt om aan [Eiser] te verstrekken een bruto/netto-specificatie van de betaling bedoeld onder II. en III., op straffe van verbeurte van een dwangsom van € 250,00 per dag dat Ifo niet aan deze veroordeling voldoet, en

VII. Ifo veroordeelt in de kosten van de onderhavige procedure, het salaris van de gemachtigde van [Eiser] daaronder begrepen.