Carrefour Belgium is struggling to supply some of its shops with enough products following a strike at its logistics provider, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to the Belga news agency on Monday.
The supermarket chain said it was doing its utmost to limit the impact of the strike on its supplies and to keep its customers informed amid media reports of empty shelves in some stores.
Last week, the Kuehne+Nagel group announced that its Logistics Nivelles site - for which Carrefour is the only customer - would close in autumn 2022. Since the announcement, which came as a blow to the 549 workers, the site has been paralysed by a workforce strike.
On Monday, Carrefour franchisees expressed their concern about the situation through the Aplsia (Association professionnelle du libre-service indépendant en Alimentation). The association says it is receiving "an increasing number of alarming reports" from Carrefour franchisees, who are facing supply difficulties and the negative consequences of the situation on their image and their turnover.
"Carrefour is very present in Wallonia. I cannot imagine that it does not even have a logistics centre in Wallonia, while many of its competitors do. The Walloon government is ready to mobilise all its efforts starting next week," Walloon Economy Minister Willy Borsus told RTBF on Sunday.
The company did not specify which products or stores have been hit by issues, but according to Aplsia, the Nivelles depot is responsible for supplying the fresh produce and grocery departments of Carrefour franchise shops.
The trade unions will meet with the Walloon government on Wednesday, and are expected to strike until then.
The Brussels Times
