The court case between FNV and Picnic is scheduled to take place on 1 November. The union is demanding that Picnic apply the supermarket collective labour agreement for runners and employees in distribution centres.
The court case follows several ultimatums to Picnic. Earlier this year, FNV gave the online supermarket a choice between the supermarket collective labour agreement or a lawsuit, following which Picnic decided to make a number of improvements. For instance, it increased runners' wages and set up safety programmes.
However, Picnic refuses the supermarket collective labour agreement. According to founder Michiel Muller, because this collective labour agreement does not match the current times and Picnic's business model. "Those agreements are fifty years old. Then a student who works on Sunday can be paid double and a stay-at-home mum who can only work during the week cannot." The app-only supermarket therefore argues for a collective labour agreement for the e-commerce sector.
On 1 November, Picnic will appear in court. The online super says it regrets that FNV is opting for a conflict model. Picnic sees the union's actions as a "play" to gain publicity.
