Overview
- The board plans to shut the Erfurt logistics hub by the end of September 2026, and the works council now counts more than 3,000 threatened roles when including temps and long‑term service providers.
- Works council chair Tony Krause says the body was not properly consulted under co‑determination law and will call a mass assembly of all affected workers.
- Thuringia’s government plans a Task Force “Zalando” and has formed an interministerial group to coordinate job placement, attract investors and identify future uses for the site.
- Union leaders denounce the move in light of roughly €22–22.4 million in past subsidies and the parallel opening of a Gießen facility with about 1,700 jobs, though any legal duty to repay funds has expired.
- Ministers say employees were led to believe the site was performing well and argue earlier engagement could have enabled modernization, with placement support prioritizing older staff, migrants and people with disabilities.