ERFURT (dpa-AFX) - In the ongoing dispute over the closure of Zalando's major logistics hub in Erfurt, which employs approximately 2,700 people, a conciliation committee must be convened. This was the ruling handed down by the Erfurt Labor Court. The online fashion retailer had filed for the establishment of the committee and brought the matter before the court.

The Labor Court justified its decision by stating that the employer had declared negotiations with the works council regarding a social plan and a reconciliation of interests to have failed. Zalando argued that attempts to establish a negotiation timetable had proven impossible within a foreseeable timeframe.

Former State Secretary to Lead Arbitration Body

The conciliation committee will consist of four assessors representing each party. According to court records, Josef Molkenbur, a former judge and State Secretary of Justice from Saxony-Anhalt, has been appointed as chairman. Philipp Mesters, the presiding judge at the Erfurt Labor Court, noted that an appeal against this decision may be lodged with the Thuringia State Labor Court.

The breakdown of negotiations remained a point of contention between the company and the works council. The works council had initially sought detailed justifications from the employer for the planned total abandonment of the Erfurt site. Approximately 50 people, including employee representatives, took part in a protest outside the courthouse.

Logistics Center Shutdown Slated for September

Under labor law, conciliation committees serve as internal arbitration bodies when works councils and employers cannot reach an agreement on critical issues.

The Erfurt logistics site played a pivotal role in the growth of the DAX-listed group over recent years. Zalando intends to shutter the facility by the end of September, a move that has drawn criticism from the Thuringian state government. According to the company, the decision is driven by a realignment of its pan-European logistics network following the acquisition of online fashion retailer About You in 2025./rot/DP/jha