H&M has raised with the unions its intention to
initiate an Employment Regulation File (ERE) in Spain, which will affect about 1,100 of the 5,000 employees it has in Spain
, and plans to close about thirty stores in the country.
These cuts are derived from the crisis that the company is going through due to the pandemic.
As the company has justified in a statement,
the commerce (retail) industry is experiencing "a great change"
, not only due to the pandemic, but also due to online growth and changes in consumer buying habits.
All companies in the sector are making changes and restructuring their network of stores to adapt to the digital revolution.
Textiles have also been one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, as the stores were closed during confinement and then suffered numerous space and time restrictions.
Sales fell 40% globally in 2020.
In this context, H&M is no exception and has indicated that
it is "in a process of transformation and global reorganization", thus seeking "a more efficient organization"
.
Unions have called this adjustment "disproportionate".
Readjustment
The company plans to open 100 new stores and close 350 facilities around the world in 2021, while in Spain it will reorganize its stores and close 30 points.
The closures will be made "in a staggered fashion" in 2021 and possibly 2022.
H&M indicated that its objective is "to maintain as many jobs as possible," so it will prioritize "whenever possible" the option of voluntary assignment upon termination of the contract, in order to minimize the impact of the ERE.
The firm stressed that it will offer
"certain" possibilities of relocation and transfer
and will implement a relocation plan for workers who eventually have to leave the company.
According to the unions, H&M also intends to "reduce the hours hired", "thus deepening the precariousness".
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