All IKEA stores in Belgium are open on Thursday, following a resolution between the company and unions regarding recent labour disputes.
The store in Liège will, however, open an hour later than usual at 11:00 instead of 10:00. This delay comes after days of unrest at various locations over alleged deteriorating working conditions.
The discontent was particularly pronounced at the Hognoul branch near Liège, which remained closed the whole day on Tuesday.
However, an agreement was reached on Wednesday evening during a conciliation meeting facilitated by the Ministry of Employment.
IKEA confirmed on Thursday morning that all stores across Belgium are operational, with no reports of further actions by employees. Activities in Liège were set to resume following the presentation of the agreement reached the previous day.
Sven De Scheemaeker, union secretary of ACV Puls, announced plans to begin national negotiations on 15 October. He emphasised that the unions aim to address "structural issues" across all stores in the weeks and months ahead.
De Scheemaeker expressed the unions’ commitment to finding solutions, stating they would proceed without "blinkers or taboos" but with a firm resolve to make jobs at IKEA more attractive and sustainable.
He called on IKEA's national management to approach the negotiations with transparency and a constructive attitude.
Recent days saw industrial actions at locations such as Wilrijk, Anderlecht, Zaventem, and Ghent.
IKEA clarified on Wednesday that the situation in Liège was an isolated case and did not reflect the broader labour dialogue at other Belgian branches.
Unions have criticised working conditions at IKEA, citing excessive workloads among other issues.
Broader concerns in the retail sector have also arisen following the proposed Federal Government measures related to opening on Sundays and extending night shift hours.
