The Zalando works council does not want to give up the online fashion retailer’s Erfurt location, which is threatened with closure, without resistance. “We are fighting for our location!” declared the employee representatives. After a meeting with the works council, the state government reiterated its support for the employees. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labor want to start a so-called “Zalando” task force, which will bundle the approach to job placement, location development and the search for investors.
The workforce, works council, city and state government were surprised last week by the decision of the DAX group’s board of directors to close the Erfurt logistics center with around 2,700 employees. The Berlin start-up’s rise to become a large online retailer began with Erfurt more than ten years ago.
Works council: breaches of duty by the company
The works council accused the company of failing to fulfill its obligations as an employer in accordance with the provisions of the Works Constitution Act. “This must be made up for comprehensively. Until then, the works council and the representatives of the severely disabled do not feel that they are sufficiently informed to begin negotiations on social plans with the employer,” says a statement available to the dpa. The works council is in contact with experts and consultants. Former Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left) should also get involved.
Labor Minister Katharina Schenk (SPD) and Economics Minister Colette Boos-John (CDU) met with the Zalando employee representatives in the Erfurt freight transport center. They once again criticized the planned site closure in a few months.
After the conversation, Schenk also expressed his suspicion that the employees were not sufficiently involved and informed. It was suggested to them right up to the end that the location was operating economically and successfully. The company must now first fulfill its co-determination and reporting obligations and provide figures, data and facts. “The large Zalando corporation cannot now get away too cheaply,” said Schenk.
Minister: Modernization would have been possible
After initial discussions with the employment agency and local logistics companies, Schenk was optimistic “as far as the further placement of employees is concerned”. The focus is primarily on older employees, employees with a migrant background and people with disabilities. The goal is to offer all employees a perspective by the end of the year, emphasized Schenk.
The state government’s attempt to change the Zalando board’s mind failed last week. Economics Minister Boos-John explained that, in her opinion, “if the state government had been involved at an early stage, there would have been good opportunities to invest in the modernization of the Erfurt logistics center in a future-oriented manner”.
The figures on company development presented in the conversation with the works council confirmed this. Investors, new employment opportunities with companies in the region and re-use of the huge halls are now being sought.
DGB: Zalando should pay back tax money
The DGB district chairman for Hesse-Thuringia, Michael Rudolph, spoke of the company’s irresponsible actions. Zalando must play a significant role in ensuring that its employees have a future. “This shouldn’t just be the job of the employment agency.”
After all, the establishment of Zalando in Thuringia was supported with around 22 million euros in public funds. Zalando should pay back a significant part, said the trade unionist. The company has no obligation to do this because the deadlines for this have already passed. Rudolph demanded that the company receive “not a cent of tax money” for its new location in Gießen, Hesse. Schenk said after the meeting: “From my point of view, you can actually talk about a kind of subsidized tourism.”
The trade unionist criticized Thuringia’s economics minister, who, according to him, had significantly worsened the social criteria when awarding funding last year.