News

Around 500 IKEA employees in Germany are kicking off a “Hot Autumn” of collective bargaining on Friday by rallying at the company’s German headquarters.



Workers from 14 IKEA stores and a call centre will attend the rally in Wallau near Frankfurt. Strikes have been underway since May 2013 in an attempt to ensure positive results in collective bargaining taking place between workers and the Swedish multinational retail giant.



IKEA had tried to dampen the strike motivation when it unilaterally increased its salaries by 2.5 per cent from August but the move has proved to be a tranquiliser with little effect.



The bargaining is linked to massive deteriorations in working conditions and salary structures, with workers campaigning for more flexibility in working hours, reductions in overnight and late work, and a better salary offer.



UNI’s Head of Commerce Alke Boessiger said, “IKEA presents itself as a good employer but workers rights are not something that must be upheld only when it suits management. Collective agreements in the retail sector in Germany are not negotiated with individual employers but on state level for the entire sector. For IKEA to break away from the collective and unilaterally change conditions undermines the notion of social dialogue and collective bargaining. It would be unacceptable to do this in Sweden but away from home the company obviously applies different rules."