Employer groups are seeking to lower working conditions and wages in response to unions’ efforts to harmonise the five bargaining committees in the retail sector, the joint trade union front said on Thursday in a statement.
For the past two years, unions have been pushing for dialogue within the five paritary committees (PCs) to have them evolve, prevent social dumping in the sector, and maintain decent employment conditions.
They have been persistently urging the employer organisations to finally discuss the future of retail and its workers.
There is no room for social dialogue, unions say
Six months ago, the joint trade union front submitted a proposal for the harmonisation of the five PCs.
“This is also a goal of the government, as we have until 1 January 2027 to find solutions between the social partners,” note the Association of Employees, Technicians and Managers (SETCA/BBTK), the National Federation of Employees (CNE/ACV Plus) and the General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions (CGSLB/ACLVB).
"The employers' response today is that, to guarantee retailers’ margins, working conditions and wages must be lowered," the unions said. "No counter-proposal was offered, just a flat refusal."
“It seems they are waiting for their government allies to do their work for them. There’s no room for social dialogue,” the unions added, charging that there has been a stalemate in the dialogue within the retail sector for nearly a decade.
Stores are closing only to be replaced by new, low-cost retailers
The unions are concerned about the future of the sector's workers. “Store closures have been ongoing for a decade, while new low-cost retailers are appearing almost daily,” they observed.
They are calling on employer organisations to collectively address the unchecked expansion of retail chains.
“The purchasing power of consumers isn’t limitless, quite the opposite, and the Arizona government’s measures won’t improve the situation,” the unions added.
According to the unions, the new government agreement favours the employers. “With Arizona, retail employers already receive many concessions: easier opening hours, more student work hours, more flexible job opportunities, easier and cheaper night work, annualised work hours, no minimum work hours, more and cheaper overtime, and abundant flexi-jobs," they noted.
Half a century of labour achievements are being swept away, unions charge
"This precariousness makes building a quality career in retail impossible, offering the unemployed only poor jobs,” they charged.
The labour achievements of the past fifty years are being “swept away,” the joint trade union front feels, predicting that “there will be no more dialogue, no building a career, or having a good job for the least qualified workers.”
"It’s time to act to secure the future of the retail sector, which represents 500,000 jobs, whose quality is eroding daily,” the unions stressed, urging employers to roll up their sleeves and return to the path of dialogue.
