The exclusion of the reimbursement of costs is one of the central provisions of labour court proceedings. In deviation from the general principle of reimbursement of costs in the event of victory, Section 12a ArbGG makes a special provision for the parties to the first-instance labour court judgement proceedings. This has always been justified with the aim of "cheapening" the legal dispute. In addition to a comprehensive description of the historical development of the provision, the work examines the questions of what effects the provision can have in labour court disputes and whether the provision is (still) compatible with constitutional and EU law requirements.