hamster purchases for employees in the supermarket, Overtime, and increased risk of infection. For other areas, however, the opposite is true.

mass crowds in supermarkets in Italy. Similar conditions threaten us soon? Photo: Alfredo Falcone/dpa

BERLIN taz | preserves, pasta, and disinfectant spray are as popular as never. Employees at supermarkets work more to fill the shelves. And no matter whether as a cashier*or staff*in the download area: customer contact increases the likelihood of infection with the Coronavirus.

"The protection of employees and the supply of the population" is maintaining at the moment the most Important thing, said Christian Böttcher from the national Association of food (BVLH). "The internal processes are running at full speed, the emergency plans are constantly revised," he said on the phone. "Food sales people and customer contact." A balancing act so, the operation to maintain and protect the employees.

"of Course, if you are sitting on the cash, you contact with the products the customer had in their hands." To employees to protect end, it's better to get it now training on the basic rules of Hygiene: wash your hands, disinfect, keep a distance, in the inside of the elbow sneeze. "Mundane things are but elementary. You have to explain again and again. A lot helps a lot“, the voice here actually. In addition, additional disinfection dispensers were at the ready.

apart from the employees working at the cash register or on the loading area, must also be protected logistics*indoor or Truck-drivers. Logistics companies are usually external, but in close consultation with the company, says Böttcher. For each stage, there are crisis plans: delivery in the warehouse, delivery and sale in the shops. The plans of each company is different. Depending on the size and organizational structure. All of the 48 hours they had the Association of a location meeting, explains Böttcher. The booth Friday: So far no bottlenecks in the supply chains.

emergency plans include, for example: "If stock goes down x, then y and z with takes over another branch," explains the BVLH speaker. "But we can't clone us." To the extent that you can certain scenarios to play through, do it. The Worst-Case scenario: "Somewhere a point, where we need to surrender comes, maybe." No one wool, of course, and was not in sight. Honestly would have to be thought through, says Böttcher.

The specific Situation of see also Verdi, Baden-Württemberg. An easing of the working time adjustment during the corona of a crisis you will not refuse therefore. However, the works councils have to be involved with: "It is not the time for the clarification of questions of principle," says Martin Gross, Verdi-country district Manager. "The workers in the trade slog almost round the clock, partly in special layers, ran, in order to supply all of us on a daily basis with the necessary goods. With all the flexibility that is demanded these days by all, must not be neglected the protection of the health of persons employed in the trade,“ he urges.

"you must not be overloaded, so that the supply of Goods in the medium term can be guaranteed." The protection of employees from infection, he still sees air to the top. Further, the Verdi emphasized-state district Manager: "solidarity and flexibility are not a one-way street. The employees are sweethearts, just not for the huge sales plus your business, but for all of us. For this you can expect from their employers more than claims on the policy, to loosen the rules on working time.“

During the insert Overtime work, because food and drugstores are booming article, fighting the other retail. Many trading companies were affected "a massive demand failures," writes the German trade Association, according to a recent trend survey on Friday, around 700 companies. A quarter of the trading companies ask, therefore, measures to deal with the Situation permanently brace. Next week, three-quarters of the companies worry about falling demand. Nearly half expect significant declines.