A number of trade unions representing embattled Delhaize staff have announced a strike and demonstration to protest against management’s intention to franchise the 128 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium.
“Today Delhaize, tomorrow who’s next?” ask the unions, who fear a “Delhaize-like” scenario could spread across the Belgian retail sector.
The route and time of the demonstration will be communicated later.
The labour negotiations remain deadlocked, so much so that Delhaize management has, on several occasions, called in bailiffs to reopen its closed shops.
Legal decisions taken by the company’s management are putting "commercial law before the right to collective action, which constitutes a dangerous precedent for social movements,” trade unions further deplore.
Faced with these issues, the trade union organisations are calling for a demonstration, which will be held on 22 May in the capital.
