Retail or logistics? El Corte Inglés faces court case

More than 200 employees of El Corte Inglés‘ main logistics center in Madrid are demanding that the logistics labour agreement be applied to them instead of the retail agreement. A favorable ruling could set a precedent with an impact beyond Spain.

Inspection and judicial roadmap

Over the last decade, retail has been incorporating logistics functions as it has moved towards omnichannel models. Digitalization and the growth of e-commerce have shifted much of the operations from stores to distribution centers, where tasks such as picking, real-time inventory management and delivery coordination are concentrated. In this context, some collective labour agreements do not fully reflect current activity and may need to be updated.