Employees at the Belgian retailer Carrefour, and their respective unions, are fearful of future job losses after the company recorded a €61.6 million loss in 2022, RTL reports.
Union representative Thierry Testaert warned that Carrefour is “next in line” to face labour disputes between employers and employees, with many unions worried that the retailer will franchise its stores in a similar vein as Delhaize.
Carrefour locations in France are considering cutting 1,000 of its employees, with the multinational on a drive to save €4 billion by 2026 through various cost-saving measures. Belgian management has already switched to a more beneficial joint committee – between employers and unions – which could result in lower wages for their workers.
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While unions and company management are said to be engaged in “calm” discussions over upcoming contracts, Testaert told RTL that “this is an illusion” with Carrefour benefiting from the spotlight having been shone on Delhaize’s franchising plans.
The supermarket chain announced its plans to franchise all 128 of its stores in March, with workers carrying out months-long strikes to protest. Unions fear that the move by Delhaize will undermine the conditions of current employees or even replace workforces entirely with lower-paid rolling staff.
