Thuringia's former Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow has condemned Zalando's planned September closure of its Erfurt logistics center. Ramelow labeled the move economically unjustifiable, noting the retailer allocated 80 million euros for the shutdown. He argues that modernizing the facility to current standards would cost approximately 120 million euros.
The closure will eliminate all jobs at the location. On Monday, the works council and union representatives will travel to Berlin to deliver protest postcards to the Zalando board. The delegation also scheduled meetings with Bundestag lawmakers to secure a long-term perspective for the site.
This development follows a period of conflict including staff meetings and demonstrations since the start of the year. Political and public pressure now intensifies negotiations between management and the workforce over the pivotal logistics hub.