The AD Delhaize on the Boulevard Anspach in the Brussels city centre has been judicially sealed off since Monday evening following a check by the social inspectorate over reports of undeclared work, confirmed union secretary Myriam Djegham (CNE).
The shutdown comes at a time when unions have been campaigning for a fortnight against the franchising of 128 Delhaize supermarkets.
Seals had apparently already been affixed on Saturday after a check showed that eight of the 20 staff members were not declared, L'Echo reports. One of the employees reportedly does not even have a residence permit. However, the seals were broken over the weekend and reapplied on Monday.
The manager of AD Delhaize, a franchise outlet of the supermarket chain of the same name, denies there are any irregularities in the employment of his staff. "All the staff have been declared," he told L'Echo, adding that he is turning to the labour auditor on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, the shop remains sealed.
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For Sibille Boucquey, the first substitute of the Brussels Labour Audit Office, the sealing of the AD Delhaize on Anspach is "in this current context, an example of the fact that the privatisation of a store can result in less compliance with labour legislation."
In the meantime, the trade union actions at Delhaize continue, as 76 stores were closed due to a strike on Tuesday.
