"Zara workers to protest outside Spanish stores after record profit", 19 March 2024

Workers at Zara owner Inditex' stores plan to protest in eight major Spanish cities...to demand better benefits after the fashion giant reported record profits and raised shareholder payouts, unions said...

Inditex shares hit a record high after it reported positive early spring sales and a record annual profit last week, and said it would boost its dividend payout by 28%...

Spain's two largest unions, UGT and CCOO have called on shop workers in Inditex's home country to gather outside Zara and Bershka stores in cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Seville...

CCOO union leader Lucia Trenor said union representatives and workers will gather for an hour and will do so outside of their regular shifts, so shops will work as normal...

The unions want the company behind the Zara brand to offer more hours for part-time employees and a minimum number of weekends off a year for all staff. UGT also wants seniority bonuses to start after four years of service, as the company is discussing offering a benefit based on experience, so they can reach the majority of workers.

Union and Inditex representatives will meet on Tuesday. The company declined to comment on the union's actions...