Long queues formed on Saturday in front of some sixty Brantano shoe stores, which are being liquidated. The curators did not conduct any consultation to organize the action in a safe way, point out the unions. “If the staff is overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to temporarily close the store“, declares Sven De Scheemaeker, of the Christian union ACV Puls / CNE.
In addition to the curators, the trade unionist points to the Moyersoen auction house, which organized the liquidation and contacted former Brantano workers to find out if they were ready to return for liquidation.
This lack of consultation, “which also affects the ongoing buyout negotiations“, urges unions to take action in company court.”We want to consult with the Judges-Commissioners who will need to approve the replay before a decision is made“, affirme Sven De Scheemaeker.
“This intervention will be accompanied by an open letter from the staff, who will also express their dissatisfaction..”
“We exchanged a few emails about the liquidation on Friday, but it was way too late“, he points out.”It should have been done earlier. We could have prevented a liquidation, especially with discounts of 75%, awakening predatory instincts among consumers. It is all the more necessary to take this into account during this period of coronavirus.“
For the trade unionist, this new episode is “a sour cherry on a tasteless cake“.
The remuneration of staff for the liquidation is of even greater concern. “The salary will be paid by an Onem fund“, said M. De Scheemaeker.”The workers will be paid as temporary workers for this sale.“
The trade unionist pleads for a closer examination of the plan to take over the chain Ziengs Retail (ZiRe), a company active in the Netherlands and parent company of the shoe stores Ziengs Schoenen and Scapinodes. However, the company announced at the beginning of the week that it was no longer a candidate for the takeover of the Belgian channel.
ACV Puls still hopes for a turnaround. “The curators made a mistake. For unknown reasons, the proposal was never properly considered when it would have been much better for the job“, he denounces.
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