Over 40 teachers from ten universities and higher education institutions across the Wallonia-Brussels Federation penned an open letter on Friday, calling on their students to refuse employment at Delhaize supermarkets, Le Soir reports.
Just a month prior, another open letter, signed by many members of civil society including university professors, called on consumers to boycott Delhaize supermarkets in the context of a social conflict at the business.
Earlier this year, Delhaize announced that it would switch to a franchise model for its locations, which employees said hurt wages and job security. After talks between unions and management fell apart, months of strikes have seen stores closed and large demonstrations in solidarity with the company’s 9,200 workers.
As a result of the decision to move towards a franchise model for its 128 stores, many Delhaize staff have resigned or moved on to different employment. The company has also been forced to find new staff to replace those on strike. Delhaize very commonly offers employment to students, who make up a large fraction of staff.
The open letter, signed by teachers, said that Delhaize’s decision to entrust its locations to independent affiliates is “brutal” and scorned the company’s use of Belgium-centric branding. Notably, it says that its use of students to “replace striking workers” is “unacceptable.”
“It seems fundamental to us to call on student workers to boycott the lion sign,” the signatories state. “Even if we are aware that having a job is a real necessity for many students confronted with insecurity… boycotting Delhaize is also a means for students to fight for their future working conditions.”
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The letter accuses Delhaize of going towards a “full profit model” which they see as socially irresponsible. “We cannot accept that one day we will all be workers on the cheap, with social protections and labour rights reduced to minimums.”
Delhaize has said that calls for boycotts of its supermarkets are “counterproductive” as they compromise “the future of activity and employment.”
