Some 21 Carrefour shops are not open this morning in Brussels and Wallonia, the day after the announcement of the restructuring plan, potentially leading to a maximum of 1,233 job losses. Delphine Latawiec, National Secretary of the CNE, indicated the position to the Belga press agency. Seven shops in Le Hainaut are closed today, along with five hypermarkets in Brussels, three shops in Walloon Brabant and six in Liège. In Flanders, the hypermarket in Genk is also closed.
The decision not to open follows meetings with staff. The trade union representative stated, “It is possible that the position may change and that other shops will decide to close in sympathy with the shops which are striking,”
Several shops which are striking today may continue their action over the weekend. SETCa Charleroi (part of the trade union for employees, technicians and executives) has already announced that the Carrefour shops in Bomerée and Gosselies will remain closed this weekend.
On Thursday, Carrefour management announced, during an extraordinary works council meeting, their restructuring plan. The proposal could affect up to 1,233 workers, including 1,053 individuals in hypermarkets and 180 at the Carrefour head office. The Belle Île hypermarkets in Liège and Genk (in the Limburg province) are likely to have to close, whilst others such as large hypermarkets or shops, will be reduced in size to a greater or lesser extent.
The Brussels Times
