Union officials representing Carrefour workers in Belgium, preparing to meet the French retailer’s local management on Thursday (1 April), have refused to rule out the prospect of fresh strikes at the retailer.
Carrefour employees in Belgium held a national strike last month after the retail giant announced plans to close 21 stores in the country, a move that is set to cost over 1,670 jobs.
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Union officials have hit out at Carrefour’s plans, arguing that the world’s second-largest retailer has mismanaged its operations in Belgium and not invested enough in its stores in the country.
In recent weeks, Carrefour’s local management have visited stores and received information from union officials on alternatives to the planned cuts and the two sides plan to meet later this week to discuss the proposals.
A spokesman for Setca, the union representing Carrefour’s workers in Belgium, insisted there were no plans for another national strike but said more industrial action could lay ahead if the retailer refuses to budge on its plans.
“It’s one of the options but it depends on what answers [Carrefour] gives,” the spokesman told just-food. “If the plans go ahead with no changes, then my wager is that there will be a strike.”
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By GlobalDataThe spokesman repeated the union’s accusations that Carrefour had mismanaged its business in Belgium and questioned whether the restructuring was a precursor to the retailer quitting the market. Carrefour entered Belgium in 2000 when it bought local supermarket chain GB.
“It has been mismanaged for at least ten years with low investment in shops and a very blurry commercial vision. That’s why it’s so shocking to see this plan; this plan is just cut, cut, cut,” the spokesman said.
He insisted the union had worked to provide Carrefour with information that could lead to less shops being closed and jobs saved.
“We have stayed very calm. We did have a general strike one month ago [but] we are participating in constructive dialogue. Carrefour has all the information it needs.”
Officials at Carrefour Belgium declined to comment when contacted by just-food.
