Martin: Ecco Employees to be Laid Off Go on Strike

Martin, 5 June (TASR) - A strike in support of securing higher financial compensation for employees affected by the announced mass layoffs linked to the closure of production at the Ecco Slovakia plant in Martin has received majority support within the company's labour union organisation, head of the unionists Pavol Hustava reported in his social media post on Thursday. A total of 410 employees voted in favor of the strike. A two-hour warning strike is tentatively planned for 17 June, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, during which employees on the morning shift will stop work for one hour, and the same will be done by those on the afternoon shift. The union is demanding an additional payment of €3,000 per employee on top of the severance pay agreed upon in the collective agreement. Ecco Slovakia will cease production at its Martin plant in the summer. The decision will affect 650 employees. The company's management has announced that a compensation package has been prepared in connection with the mass layoffs, including both financial and non-financial measures. The direct financial assistance will amount to €11 million, and on average, each departing employee will receive the equivalent of eight monthly salaries. Opened in Martin since 1998, the Ecco factory, which specializes in both formal and casual product categories, has delivered more than 50 million pairs of shoes to global markets over its operational history. The current situation at the Martin plant will not affect Ecco’s retail network in Slovakia. mf