The German fashion mail order company Zalando is closing its logistics center in Erfurt with 2,700 employees at the end of September. This was announced by the DAX group with its headquarters in Berlin. Employees are currently being informed about the plans.
According to the company, the reason is a realignment of the group’s own Europe-wide logistics network following the takeover of the online fashion retailer About You last year. The Erfurt operating company of the location and group subsidiary will therefore cease operations at the end of the year. Until then, the work will continue unchanged.
The company is now starting discussions with the site’s works council about a reconciliation of interests and a social plan to give those affected a perspective, said press spokesman Christian Schmidt.
Zalando co-boss David Schröter signaled financial support to employees. In an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” he announced that the group had prepared for a significant contribution. The aim is for as many employees as possible to find a new job – for example at the Zalando location in Gießen in neighboring Hesse, which is still under construction.
Union: “It was definitely known before Christmas”
The Verdi union speaks of a perfidious approach. In December, Verdi called for a strike at its Erfurt and Mönchengladbach locations. To date, there has been no signal that a closure of the Erfurt location is even on the cards, said Matthias Adorf, Verdi trade union secretary in Thuringia.
“That was certainly already known before the Christmas business. They probably didn’t come up with that on New Year’s Eve,” said Adorf. From the union representative’s point of view, the company kept employees in the dark in order to secure the important Christmas business.
The Erfurt logistics center was opened in 2012. It is the only company-owned logistics location of this size in eastern Germany, says Schmidt. Zalando operates other large logistics centers in Gießen, Lahr in the Black Forest and Mönchengladbach. After the planned conversion, a total of 14 logistics centers in seven countries will remain.