Zeeman, the Dutch low-cost textile chain, will close 13 stores in Spain after reaching a final agreement with unions on a collective redundancy plan. The decision follows weeks of negotiations and cuts the company’s original proposal from 15 locations.
The final deal, reached with UGT, CCOO and Fetico, spares the stores in Burriana and Cartagena, allowing them to remain open. Employees affected by the closures will receive severance pay of up to 33 days’ salary per year worked, capped at 24 months. The compensation applies to forced redundancies and voluntary departures linked to job swaps.
Reduced Closures, Improved Terms
Zeeman’s initial plan called for 15 store closures, but negotiations with unions limited the impact. The revised list excludes Burriana in Castellón and Cartagena in Murcia, bringing the number of affected outlets down to 13. Stores in Madrid and other regions, including Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Aragón and Murcia, will still close.
Union representatives have called the agreement a step forward for employee protection. They say improved severance terms and extra support give greater security to those leaving the company. The deal also reduces forced layoffs compared with the original proposal.
Severance and Support Measures
Under the agreement, employees leaving Zeeman because of the closures will receive 33 days’ salary per year of service, up to a maximum of 24 monthly payments. The company will also pay 15 days’ salary to cover the period between an employee’s departure and the official end of their contract.
Staff who volunteer to leave without taking part in a job swap will receive severance of 20 days’ salary per year worked, capped at 12 months, under the terms of an objective dismissal.
Reemployment and Protection for Older Workers
The agreement includes an external outplacement plan managed by Randstad to help affected employees find new jobs. Workers over 55 will benefit from a dedicated Social Security agreement that protects their pension contributions after they leave Zeeman.
A joint monitoring committee will oversee the deal’s implementation. It will include four representatives from Zeeman’s management and four from the unions. The committee will address issues that arise during the process and check that the agreed terms are followed.
Impact on Zeeman’s Spanish Operations
The closure of 13 stores marks a impressive contraction of Zeeman’s presence in Spain. Unions have welcomed the improved conditions and fewer layoffs, while the company’s retail footprint will shrink, affecting employees and local communities. Zeeman also maintains an online retail presence in Spain through its Spanish-language website.
As the agreement takes effect, Zeeman will begin compensating departing staff and rolling out the outplacement plan. It will also provide extra support for older workers. The monitoring committee will oversee the transition and ensure it is handled fairly and transparently.
Talent24h reported that the outcome reflects a compromise between the company’s restructuring needs and the unions’ efforts to safeguard workers’ rights. In a broader European retail context, French newspaper La Voix du Nord has described Zeeman as pursuing a relaunch amid intense competition and reviewing its city-centre store strategy in France. That account provides context on the retailer’s wider positioning, but does not explain the Spanish closures. The case highlights the challenges facing international retailers in Spain’s competitive market, where cost pressures and changing consumer habits continue to lead change.
