Although the promotions at supermarket chain Delhaize continue, more branches are open again every day. On Wednesday evening, however, a strike broke out in the distribution center in Zellik.
The actions at Delhaize have entered their fifth week. The strikers are still opposing the management’s advanced plans to sell the last 128 stores under its own management to independent operators. They fear that they will have to work there under worse conditions. But after a month, the action loses more and more momentum. In the first days after the start – on March 7 – staff in 114 of the 128 affected stores went on strike. A week later, thirty stores were open again, and a week later, customers could again visit almost half of Delhaize’s own stores. On Wednesday, strikes were still held in ‘only’ 42 supermarkets. All distribution centers were also open during the day as normal, until a strike broke out late on Wednesday evening at Delhaize’s distribution center in Zellik.
The center of gravity of the action is in French-speaking Belgium. If all 65 own stores in Flanders were open on Wednesday, there were 19 of 41 in Wallonia and only 2 of 22 in Brussels.
Bailiffs on the move
In itself, this is in line with the announcement by the unions to slow down during the Easter holidays. Although the trend that points to a decreasing willingness to strike has already started. At Delhaize they do not want to venture too many statements about this. ‘There is a social mediator at the end of March (Matthias Jacxsens, red.) appointed’, says spokesman Roel Dekelver. ‘He now talks to all parties separately. On April 18, everyone will sit around the table together for the first time. Until then, the mediator must be able to do his job in complete discretion.’
Dekelver does say that he is ‘obviously satisfied’ that more and more branches are opening their doors again. ‘We see a positive evolution. It shows that there are still many willing to work. We are also calling on the rest of the staff to resume work. We want to continue a dialogue about this.’
Although Delhaize has also been sending bailiffs since last week, who must determine where those willing to work are denied access by striking colleagues. ‘We only send them to branches with a lot of people willing to work,’ Dekelver explains. ‘The deployment of bailiffs may indeed also be one of the reasons why several shops have reopened in recent days. Although we mainly think that many employees themselves realize after weeks of strikes that their action cannot last forever.’
Tooth and nail
The socialist trade union reacts with anger to questions about a declining willingness to take action. ‘What kind of bullshit is that now?’ asks Jan De Weghe, secretary of the socialist union BBTK Setca. This is already one of the longest actions ever. After weeks of strikes, the agreement was to only continue on Saturdays, but in Wallonia and Brussels they want to continue to do more than that. The fact that more and more branches are now opening again does not mean that we resign ourselves to the plans of the management. On the contrary. As a trade union, we will continue to do everything we can to defend the rights of employees tooth and nail. It will become clear in the following days how we will do that.’
