Kirkel – 2012/02/01. On Tuesday, the management of Praktiker AG and the Group Workers’ Council reached an agreement on the reconciliation of interests concerning the move of the corporate headquarters from Kirkel to Hamburg. At the same time a social compensation plan was developed. It covers all personnel measures associated with the restructuring program as decided by the management board.

Merging the hitherto separate headquarters of Praktiker and Max Bahr into a single corporate base in Hamburg is part of the projected restructuring process. It will lead to a reduction of around 220 jobs in total. The staff cuts are necessary for the economic recovery of Praktiker and will be organized as socially acceptable as possible. Comparable jobs at the new corporate headquarters in Hamburg will be offered to all employees working in departments which are to be relocated. The terms were defined in a social compensation plan which will also be valid for further restructuring measures.

Central units will be relocated to Hamburg step by step finishing by September 30th, 2012. About 450 full-time employees will be working at the new corporate headquarters then. Internal support functions consisting of 180 jobs will remain in the state of Saarland. It is intended to outsource these to contractual partners thus opening up future prospects for the employees.

“Despite conflicting interests, we finally reached a result which does justice to the gravity of the situation. The decision was both affected by a common responsibility for the continued existence of the corporation and the will to conserve the greatest part of the 20.000 corporate jobs”, Chief Restructuring Officer Josef Schultheis emphasized. At the same time he thanked the workers’ council as well as the union ver.di for the hard, but constructive and result-oriented negotiations. “We demanded a lot of the employee representatives. Now it is up to us to show good judgement in the implementation of further restructuring measures and to continue the good social partnership”, said Schultheis.