Is the future of Karstadt considered safe? | Economy of the region

Yesterday, the 150 employees of Rosstadt in Karstadt were probably informed of the merger of the cartel office with Kaufhof. While the company remains silent, the professional badociation speaks of a "solid location".

rosenheim – A corporate meeting yesterday Tuesday because of the Rosenheim Karstadt open later than normal. In the middle of the beginning of the Christmas season. And in the middle of the merger process with the department store chain Kaufhof. The question of whether there was a connection between the meeting and the merger and whether it was about to inform the some 150 employees of Rosenheim Karstadt of the changes ahead, was not known yesterday . Regine Mick Lee, site manager and spokesperson officials have not responded to requests from OVB home magazines. It was apparently forbidden for employees to give information to the outside world. However, according to union circles, the likelihood of a merger of two department store chains at the corporate meeting was high.

However, Rosenheim employees are unlikely to worry, as the professional badociation Bavaria (HBE) suspects. "Karstadt Rosenheim is definitely not on a strike list," said HBE spokesman Bernd Ohlmann. It is a "powerful solitary place" – that is to say without the direct competition of another department store as in Munich – that it seldom exists among the eleven houses currently occupied by Karstadt and 13 Kaufhof in Bavaria: the solitaries of Karstadt are only always in Bamberg, Bayreuth, Augsburg and Landshut; in Kempten there is only one location for Kaufhof.

"Such a department store has special significance for a shopping city, attracts many customers and also brings benefits to the surrounding retail business," Ohlmann said. For a community like Rosenheim, leaving such a house would not be easy to manage. "But it does not look like that right now."

Ohlmann points out that a merger does not only create negative aspects, such as insecurity in the job market, but also has advantages: "A merger means better buying conditions for traders , easier management options and, ultimately, a better warranty in the marketplace. "

Both houses have recently faced a decline in sales (see box). However, according to Ohlmann, no later than the first weekend of Advent, the "hot phase" will begin, with the opportunity to boost sales with the Christmas market.

Field of tension: unequal tariffs

But there is a problem of conflict: the different rates according to which the employees of Karstadt and Kaufhof are paid. Since Karstadt's decision to restructure in 2015, a future tariff is still in effect until 2020, which will reduce employee salaries up to € 300 per month. Kaufhof employees always benefit from a flat rate. According to industry information, Karstadt has saved about 50 million euros in staff costs by withdrawing in the last three years.

The Verdi union suspects divergent wages for the same activity to create tension among employees and calls for a single rate for each area, in addition to the security of employment and the precedence of all homes .

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