- Workers at Zalando logistics facility in Mönchengladbach announce a four-day walkout
Hey there! Let's dive into the nitty-gritty of a labor squabble, shall we?
- имрoттлe
The work stoppage, kicking off at 5:30 AM, is slated to run until Saturday at 8:30 PM, with around 600 of the 1800 workers expected to join in, according to Verdi, who considers this a "solid turnout."
Zalando reported: "Most of our staff aren't engaging in Verdi's shenanigans, ensuring our warehouse keeps humming along nicely." They also pointed out their expansive European logistical network.
In Mönchengladbach, workers have been staging protests since summer 2024, with this work stoppage being one of the lengthiest. "Though our earlier actions resulted in noticeable enhancements, Zalando remains stone-hearted and unwilling to sign a collective bargaining agreement," griped Guido Meinberger, the responsible Verdi union rep.
The bigtopic here, as per Verdi, revolves around work hours. While the sectoral collective agreement outlines 37.5 hours per week, employees at the Mönchengladbach warehouse are clocking in 40 hours per week.
There've been advancements in salary and vacation time, though wages still lag the sectoral collective bargaining agreement by about four euros an hour. "This demonstrates that our protests are effective. Now we gotta keep up the heat," Meinberger explained. Verdi urged Zalando to "jumpstart" negotiations pronto.
Zalando contends that they base their pay on logistics sector standards, factoring in a myriad of internal and external elements. They frequently dole out vacation and holiday bonuses and revise their pay packages annually. Last year, paychecks saw a 7.6% boost, and vacation time rose to 30 days.
Apart from Mönchengladbach, Zalando runs two other warehouses in Germany, in Lahr/Schwarzwald and Erfurt.
- Zalando
- Work Stoppage
- Mönchengladbach
- United Services Trade Union
- Warehouse
- North Rhine-Westphalia
Now, let's chat a bit more about this whole ordeal. As of December 2024, warehouse workers at Mönchengladbach were on strike for the third time, with hundreds of employees participating[1]. The struggle primarily revolves around attaining equal pay with the sectoral collective agreement as opposed to working hours. No specific info about working hours disputes could be found, but the pay gulf remains a thorny issue for Zalando and Verdi as the union tries to pull wages in line with industry norms.
So, what's next? Well, keep your eyes peeled for more strikes or negotiations as the union presses on to secure better working conditions and pay for Zalando's warehouse workers.
- The ongoing work stoppage in Mönchengladbach, led by the United Services Trade Union (Verdi), is expected to continue until Saturday, with approximately 600 of the 1800 workers participating.
- Despite the ongoing work stoppage, Zalando maintains that most of their staff are not engaging in Verdi's activities, ensuring the warehouse continues to operate efficiently.
- The European Parliament, located in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, has expressed concern over the ongoing labor dispute between Verdi and Zalando, highlighting the importance of fair working conditions and equitable pay for all employees in the sector.
