Employees at IKEA branch Kiffisos in Athens walked out on Tuesday to protest salary decreases by 11%. In agreement with the Retail Workers Association the employees launched a work stoppage on Tuesday. They are currently outside the shop and do not prohibit customers from doing their shopping… only that there is no staff inside.
IKEA employees decided to launch a work stoppage when the management announced that they will have to sign personal contracts, receive salary cuts by 8% while marriage alloawnces and other contributions would be scrapped.
When the employees decided to stage a work stoppage, the management announced that the salary cuts were in fact not 8 but 11 percent.
IKEA employees will launch a 24-hour strike tomorrow, Wednesday, November 21st 2012.
Scrapping collective bargains, have employees signing private contracts and scrapping allowances is the latest effect of the s0-called Memorandum III, recently voted at the Greek Parliament. Overthrowing labour rights in the Greek private sector is being done allegedly in the name of competitiveness.
“In private sector marriage allowance is 10% of the salary” (Mega TV)
Employers who are not members Employers’ Associations they can follow the new regulations at once.
IKEA actually plays without competition in the Greek market after traditional furniture manufactuers like NEOSET and SATO closed their doors during the last 30 days.
source: newsit
For most greeks, going to IKEA is a major event. They get dressed to kill to visit this store. It’s the place to be seen, lol. I wittnessed this the last time I was there. Hilarious…
see and been seen in IKEA? where exactly do you live?
but that was the same in Germany some centuries ago… No youth with self-respect would set a room/flat without IKEA furniture.
I don’t give a shit about ikea but what you say is:
You witnessed it the last time –SO–> it is a major event which happens regularly.
John, Greeks, especially women get dresssed up in evening wear just to take out the garbage (LOL). Ikea is no exception.
I have a special long red gown for the garbage and last time I was in IKEA I wore a collant with gold & silver and brocard jacket.. but that was 2 years ago and it’s not modern anymore.I hear some people call for ikea boycott so I may not need to buy a new costume.
Well, my neighbor Eleni wears a itsy bitsy, teeny-weeny yellow polka-dot bikini and I’m praying there’s more garbage to be taken out soon.
Back to the article(although the dressing up for IKEA sounds fun)!
What is this about a 10% marriage allowance in a modern western society? Why should anyone be paid more by anyone in business because they are married? Surely you are paid for the value of what you do (tax free allowances can take care of whether or not both partners work).
Being paid for the value of what you do should apply to the IKEA staff too. As long as the store is still selling goods profitably a reduction in pay is wrong. However if profitability is down due to less sales then less pay to keep more people in work is one solution. How do the Greek IKEA bosses justify what they are doing?
they justify the wages cuts with ‘the crisis’. However the company seems to do well with very low losses (-4% for 2012, I read in some economic forums) and practically without competition in the furniture market.
Allowances have been often given here to compensate inflation and lack of salary increases. I read somewhere that many of these ikea employees are paid with minimum wage.
Another point is of course, that it looks the company is not member of employees’ associations so it can easily apply its onw rules and bypass collective bargain agreements.
are we promoting a communist scheme here? 100 euro to all? whether toilet cleaner or manager?
No, we are promoting getting away from greed and profit and establishing an economy based on need instead of greed. Here’s an idea for you.
Instead of cutting wages, pensions, benefits, and generally making the ordinary citizen’s life hell, let’s do the following:
Anybody who has an income of over 25K a year (including perks, expenses, fakelaki, etc and no exception for anybody like politicians) pays 100% tax on everyting over the 25K. (and normal tax on everything below it.) Unless they can verifiably proof that they invest everyting over 25K in small, indigenous enterprises employing at least 1 non family member. So, no franchises for corporations like starbucks etc, proper, indigenous enterprise. If they do that, then they get rewarded with a 5% discount on their taxes for earnings up to 25K.
In other words, use the tax system to create sustainable work instead of killing the country.