In an open letter, the Verdi union asked the authorities in Saxony to carry out more controls to implement Corona measures in food retailing or to increase controls. Verdi hopes that “the companies in the food retail sector, which have recorded enormous increases in sales, will be made responsible and meet their responsibilities.”
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“We have the impression that many food retailers succeed in deceiving customers and authorities about the real implementation of the Corona measures and regulations in their shops,” wrote the union secretaries Andrea Busch and Thomas Schneider. They were asked by employees of several companies such as Aldi, Kaufland and Netto within the tariff districts Leipzig-North Saxony and Chemnitz-Erzgebirge / Vogtland-Zwickau to write the letter. The letter is addressed to Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and all parliamentary groups in the Saxon state parliament – except for the AfD parliamentary group.
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Employer too “half-hearted”
In the letter, Verdi accuses large food retailers of only “half-heartedly” implementing the existing Corona rules. Instead, the employees would have to fight for hygiene and preventive measures “too often”.
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In contrast to the first lockdown, you can hardly see security guards in front of the shops who limit access, make sure that the mask is worn and disinfect shopping carts. Here, some employers are of the opinion that this would be the responsibility of the customers as part of self-regulation. That misses the point of reality.
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Verdi criticizes food retailers in Saxony:
- “Many employers see hygiene and preventive measures only as cost factors. They play with the health of their employees.”
- “The employees have to go into conflict with customers, with all the consequences up to verbal abuse and physical abuse.”
- “Provision of protective / disinfectants by employers is often insufficient.”
- “Too often entrepreneurial responsibility is not perceived by the employer, but is delegated to the employees without training and legitimizing them accordingly.”
- “It can even be seen that employers are extending opening hours, even to the point of considering softening the statutory and constitutional protection on Sundays. This is done solely out of profit interests.”
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Retail location split in two
While sales people in grocery stores are exposed to additional stress and countless contacts every day, thousands of other employees fear for their livelihoods. It is about the currently closed shops in the non-food area. “This affects owners as well as employees. Owner-managed shops and small merchants in particular are at risk, but large retailers such as Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, Adler-Modemärkte, Douglas, Hussel and many others are reaching their economic limits,” said Thomas Schneider. The stationary trade now needs state support. Without this help, the union fears that city centers will become deserted and unemployment will rise because branches such as Douglas and H&M will close.
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So far, according to Schneider, there has been no reaction from the state capital to the letter. The state government can expect a discussion offer from the beginning of next week, said the trade unionist MDR SACHSEN when asked.
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