The strike by staff of Engie Electrabel has been suspended after negotiations were reopened with unions regarding the dismissal of 16 employees for serious misconduct, with talks set to resume on Friday.
Trade unionists set up a picket line at Engie Electrabel's offices in Brussels on Wednesday after the Christian CSC union deemed the energy provider's decision to sanction and fire employees who had allegedly extended fixed contracts to be 'draconian.'
As a result, management reopened talks with the union on Wednesday. Union representative Ben Bellekens subsequently stated that "management is ready to review the nature of these dismissals, particularly the cause of serious misconduct." It remains to be seen whether the dismissals will be reversed but the strikes have decided to suspend their protests.
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A spokesperson for Engie Electrabel stated that "two possibilities are being explored for each employee concerned." More precisely this is either a "termination of the contract by mutual agreement or the allocation of another position." The latter would still come with sanctions.
However, Bellekens expressed his hope that further dialogue will restore calm and serenity within Engie's customer services.
