Employees at the global fashion retailer Zara are preparing to stage widespread demonstrations across Europe on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The industrial action, planned for Black Friday, aims to pressure the company into reinstating a lucrative profit-sharing scheme for its workforce.
Widespread Protests Planned Across Europe
The protests are being coordinated by the European Works Council for Inditex, Zara's parent company, in collaboration with Spain's CCOO union. Demonstrations are scheduled for 28 November outside Zara stores in major cities across seven European nations: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain.
Rosa Galan, a CCOO representative at Inditex, confirmed the central grievance. She stated that Zara had previously operated a profit-sharing programme, which was discontinued following the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are once again asking that a company that has huge profits, which are the result of the work of its staff, distribute those profits fairly," Galan asserted.
A Key Demand During a Crucial Sales Period
Black Friday, the final Friday in November, represents a critical sales window for retailers worldwide. It has also become a focal point for worker activism, with employees leveraging the high-profile day to spotlight their demands. This tactic has proven effective for Inditex staff in the past.
Following similar Black Friday protests in 2022, Spanish workers secured a significant victory. Just three months after those demonstrations, Inditex store staff in its home country received an average wage increase of 20 per cent.
The current action comes at a time of robust financial health for the world's largest listed fast-fashion retailer. Inditex shares have doubled in value over the past three years, with the company experiencing strong sales growth in the post-pandemic period.
Part of a Broader Trend of Retail Activism
The planned Zara employee strike is not an isolated incident this holiday season. It follows recent industrial action at Starbucks, where workers went on strike during the chain's popular Red Cup Day. According to the Starbucks Workers United union, at least 95 stores in 65 US cities participated, with organisers warning that more locations could join if contract agreements are not reached.
As of now, Inditex has not issued a public response to the planned Black Friday protests. The company's silence leaves the retail world watching to see how this high-stakes confrontation will unfold on one of the most important days in the retail calendar.
