The management of the Delhaize supermarket chain has announced a third batch of supermarkets that will be franchised, meaning they will come under the control of independent operators.
This time, it concerns 19 shops – bringing the total number of supermarket branches to be managed by independent owners to 51 out of the 128 Delhaize shops in Belgium so far.
Of the shops to become independent, three are located in the Brussels-Capital Region, five in Wallonia and 11 in Flanders:
Brussels
Jette (Theodor)
Jette (Charles Woeste)
Ixelles (Molière)
Wallonia
Ottignies
Louvain La Neuve
Sambreville (Falisolle)
Montigny
Liège (Burenville)
Flanders
Blankenberge
Wondelgem
Ghent (in the Watersport area)
Aalst
Oudenaarde
Alsemberg
Boechout
Ekeren
Kraainem
Wezenbeek
Geel
The supermarket chain promised that employees would keep their pay and working conditions, and there is a guarantee that no supermarket branches will close before at least the end of 2028, pledges which unions have been questioning.
Delhaize management in negotiations on 7 September 2023 in Brussels. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
There will also be a "transition premium" of €1,645 gross, supplemented by €125 gross for each full year of seniority, and a premium of €10,000 gross for those who can and want to retire early.
However, this proposal was rejected by three of the four unions at Delhaize in September. Only the Christian employees' union ACV Puls said it wanted to negotiate further.
The unions are unhappy with the decision from Delhaize's management, with Myriam Delmée of the French-speaking socialist trade union SETCA calling it "a declaration of war."
