Nearly all Delhaize supermarkets in Brussels have either gone on strike or been disrupted by staff protest action on Monday, according to a company spokesperson. Some of the most affected locations are in Boondaal, Fort Jaco, and Flagey.
The Delhaize spokesperson said that strikes were "coming and going" and were "started, interrupted, and resumed."
Similar spontaneous strike action is underway at the Delhaize supermarket in the shopping centre in the city of Nivelles in Walloon Brabant. Staff are currently protesting outside and the shutters of the store have been closed.
The company says that it regrets the situation and hopes to reopen the stores soon.
Courts in Hainaut and Brussels previously ruled that Delhaize workers across Belgium were "unable" to prevent access to shops, largely bringing an end to protest action at the company stores. These rulings have now expired and courts in Walloon Brabant and Ghent have since backed appeals centred on the right to protest.
Due to stalled negotiations with management, staff are once again resuming protest activity. The demonstration is related to the franchising of 128 Delhaize supermarkets, which has been met with fierce protest by unions and the 8,000 affected employees.
'We are not giving up the fight'
The Delhaize store in Nivelles was one of the stores to strike longest at the start of the labour dispute at Delhaize. It remained closed for seven weeks, before opening following a court order obtained by Delhaize management.
Peaceful protest in Flagey from Saturday 17 June. Credit: Belga / Timon Ramboer
With the new spontaneous protest, the company’s management invoked this ruling to attempt to open the store once again. Bailiffs can only note the blockades, but cannot force them to be removed.
“A bailiff came by this morning, but he only noted our presence, without issuing an order. To our knowledge, there are no more [protests] in Walloon Brabant. We are not giving up the fight: other protests in the coming days in Walloon Brabant cannot be ruled out,” said Permanent Secretary for Commerce at the SETca union, Christophe Bouvier.
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On Saturday, a peaceful protest of around 100 staff and customers gathered at the Flagey branch in Brussels and entered the supermarket singing and chanting.
Under the new labour contract at Delhaize, stores will be managed as franchises, owned by private individuals, which could have a significant impact on pay, job security, and other working conditions at the company.
