Energy giant TotalEnergies will not renew its contract with the Liège-based call centre Ikanbi Belgium, leaving the future of approximately 150 employees uncertain. The news, first reported by RTBF, was confirmed on Monday by Setca Liège’s permanent secretary, Patrick Masson.
Staff at Ikanbi were informed last Thursday afternoon that the contract with TotalEnergies, which ends on 31 December, will not be extended. French-language customer calls will be redirected to Morocco, while Dutch-language calls will remain in Belgium but will no longer be handled by Ikanbi.
According to Masson, the affected staff were responsible for assisting TotalEnergies customers with tasks such as invoice queries, meter transfers, and contract negotiations.
Masson expressed concern that this decision reflects broader trends within the industry. “The activity is under threat from artificial intelligence, digitalisation, and Belgian customers demanding increasingly lower costs,” he said. He also warned that other major companies may follow TotalEnergies’ lead.
Of the 150 impacted employees, around 50 hold permanent positions, while the rest are temporary workers. “We will do everything we can over the next four months to secure new clients and save as many jobs as possible,” Masson concluded.
