International freight and delivery company FedEx has announced 385 redundancies in Belgium. Trade unions say the cuts will affect 14% of staff.
Around 2,000 employees across Europe will be made redundant. The scale of the cuts has triggered the 'Renault Law' in Belgium, which sets out a consultation period of 60 days between the employer and trade unions.
The affected individuals in Belgium work at the Brucargo air freight services in Zaventem, where FedEx has 1,000 employees. The cuts will be carried over an 18-month period and are due to weak freight demand, according to the company.
Trade unions BBTK, ACV Puls and ACLVB have expressed frustration at FedEx's decision to dismiss employees after "years of commitment". They also noted that this is the sixth wave of redundancies since FedEx took over logistics company TNT in 2016.
The FedEx workforce in Liège site will not be affected, according to Belga News Agency. The company already moved two thirds of its operations from Liège Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris in early 2o22, resulting in the loss of over 150 jobs and changed working hours for hundreds more staff.
Trade unions they will support employees in any action they wish to take following the announcement.
