According to the Verdi union, the fourth round of collective bargaining for the workforce of the insolvent department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof also ended without a result. There is still no negotiable offer from the company, said Verdi negotiator Marcel Schäuble on Friday. The department store group did not comment on the negotiations.
The union had clearly rejected the idea of a department store collective agreement with permanently reduced wages, said Schäuble. “We are now expecting a clear concession and a negotiable offer in the next round.” Another waiver cannot be expected of the employees after the loss of purchasing power due to inflation and energy price increases in recent months. The fifth round of negotiations is scheduled for May 25, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main take place.
In recent weeks, workers in numerous Galeria branches have gone on warning strikes in support of union demands for better wages and salaries. Germany’s last large department store group had to seek rescue again in protective shield proceedings at the end of last year and is currently in the middle of a difficult restructuring process. According to the restructuring plan approved by the creditors in the course of the insolvency proceedings, more than 40 of the last 129 branches are to be closed nationwide and thousands of jobs are to be cut. (dpa)