Guess the modern name of a Schwarz chain-store!
A piece of non-fandom (or is it :p?) trivia - we found a Rosenkreuz hotel, now we have (another) Schwarz chain-store (and this one is big; and undercover - guess the 'undercover name ;)). Also, if you read the second paragraph, you'll see how the fiction and reality blend ;).
It belongs to the holding company Schwarz, which also owns the store chains Handelshof and Kaufland.
Founded in the 1930s by a member of the Schwarz family (and called at the time Schwarz Lebensmittel-Sortimentsgroßhandlung), it has - since the opening in 1973 of the first of its stores in their present incarnation - now established itself in over 20 countries worldwide.
In 1930, Josef Schwarz became a partner in and he developed the company into a general food wholesaler. In 1977, under his son Dieter Schwarz, the Schwarz-Gruppe began to focus on discount markets, larger supermarkets, and cash and carry wholesale markets.
Trade unions in Germany and other countries have repeatedly criticised them for mistreatment of workers, breach of European directives on working time and other abuses. These have been published in the Black Book on the Schwarz Retail Company published in Germany and now available in English. Whilst The Times notes that their managers work excessive hours, being obliged to sign out of the working time directive when starting with the company, both The Guardian and The Times in the UK amongst other allegations have reported that the store spies on its workforce with cameras, makes extensive notes on employee behaviour, particularly focusing on attempting to sack female workers who might become pregnant and also forces staff at warehouses to do piece-rate work. The management has denied the charges.
In March 2008 the German news magazine Stern released a cover story reporting systematic surveillance of (the chain's) workers, including the most intimate details of their private affairs.
Further instances of purported mistreatment of past and present employees are documented on a website created by a former employee.
It belongs to the holding company Schwarz, which also owns the store chains Handelshof and Kaufland.
Founded in the 1930s by a member of the Schwarz family (and called at the time Schwarz Lebensmittel-Sortimentsgroßhandlung), it has - since the opening in 1973 of the first of its stores in their present incarnation - now established itself in over 20 countries worldwide.
In 1930, Josef Schwarz became a partner in and he developed the company into a general food wholesaler. In 1977, under his son Dieter Schwarz, the Schwarz-Gruppe began to focus on discount markets, larger supermarkets, and cash and carry wholesale markets.
Trade unions in Germany and other countries have repeatedly criticised them for mistreatment of workers, breach of European directives on working time and other abuses. These have been published in the Black Book on the Schwarz Retail Company published in Germany and now available in English. Whilst The Times notes that their managers work excessive hours, being obliged to sign out of the working time directive when starting with the company, both The Guardian and The Times in the UK amongst other allegations have reported that the store spies on its workforce with cameras, makes extensive notes on employee behaviour, particularly focusing on attempting to sack female workers who might become pregnant and also forces staff at warehouses to do piece-rate work. The management has denied the charges.
In March 2008 the German news magazine Stern released a cover story reporting systematic surveillance of (the chain's) workers, including the most intimate details of their private affairs.
Further instances of purported mistreatment of past and present employees are documented on a website created by a former employee.