Delhaize's fresh food distribution centre in the Flemish Brabant town of Zellik was again blocked Friday evening but the block was lifted when Delhaize intervened. The blockade was finally lifted around 02:00 on Saturday morning.
The aim of the blockade was to prevent the shops from being supplied on Saturday – the most important day of the week for the department stores.
The company decided to "intervene," Roel Dekelver, Delhaize's spokesperson confirmed. "For us, it was necessary to intervene in order to guarantee distribution to the shops. These actions damage the company, so at some point, we have to do something."
Local police were called to the industrial zone where the distribution centre is located at around midnight on Friday night. The unions had blocked the entrance and exit of the entire zone, "also preventing the supply of other companies in the zone," police spokesperson Frits Scraye said.
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Geert Sanders of the socialist union ABVV Horval said a bailiff first arrived at the scene. "The police then threatened to detain everyone administratively. After that, the action stopped," Sanders said. Two people were administratively detained.
Of the 128 company-owned shops, 96 will keep their doors closed on Saturday, Delhaize reported. In Brussels, all shops of the supermarket chain are closed, in Wallonia only one shop is open. In Flanders, some half of the shops remain closed. "The number of shops that are not accessible is higher than during the week," said Dekelver.
Earlier on Friday, unions submitted a new strike notice to the supermarket chain, Sanders told Belga News Agency.
