Unions want Zara owner Inditex to extend pay rises to all shopworkers in Spain

MADRID – Commerce unions are asking Zara proprietor Inditex to provide all employees at its shops in Spain the pay rises and advantages not too long ago agreed between the retailer and store assistants in its northern Spanish hometown, two union leaders mentioned on Thursday.

In December, the corporate mentioned round 1,000 employees at Zara retailers and different Inditex manufacturers in A Coruna, the place the style big has its headquarters on town’s outskirts, would obtain 25% larger salaries this 12 months following a strike throughout the ‘Black Friday’ gross sales rush on Nov. 24-25.

Spain’s two largest unions, CCOO and UGT, which characterize greater than half of the workforce at Zara retailers within the nation, have now kicked off negotiations with Inditex to increase the pay rises and advantages to all store assistants working for the corporate in Spain.

“We wish for the higher advantages and wages that Inditex agreed with store assistants (in A Coruna) to be acquired by employees in all retailers in Spain,” mentioned Alvaro Cajigal, a frontrunner at UGT.

Till now, Inditex had been negotiating wage agreements with employees in every province individually.

“We wish to go to a negotiation the place there isn't a discrimination within the cost of employees as a result of they're in a single Spanish area or one other, or as a result of they work in a Zara store as an alternative of outlets belonging to the group’s different manufacturers,” mentioned commerce unionist Lucia Trenor from CCOO.

The unions are in search of a rise in shopworkers’ salaries in Spain of no less than 6% and as much as 25% this 12 months to counter galloping inflation, Trenor mentioned.

The corporate didn't instantly reply to a request for touch upon the brand new talks.

In November, Inditex agreed with UGT and CCOO to pay a one-off bonus of 1,000 euros in February for all full-time store assistants employed throughout Spain, and to debate additional advantages.

Inditex employs 165,000 individuals in 177 nations, with a 3rd of all workers primarily based in Spain, in line with its annual report. About 86% work in its 6,477 retailers and most are ladies.