131 intellectuals, including many academics and cultural figures, call for a boycott of Delhaize.
‘Scandalous’ call the 131 signatories of one open letter in Le Soirthe way Delhaize treats its employees. The group, which includes a striking number of academics and big names from the cultural sector such as Jaco Van Dormael and Luc Dardenne, calls for no more purchases from Delhaize as long as the social conflict lasts. A serious social conflict is underway at Delhaize after the chain announced that it wanted to privatize its 128 stores.
This strategy (franchising, red.) is intended to increase the group’s profits at the expense of jobs and working conditions. The brutality with which Delhaize wants to impose its decisions on employees calls into question our consultation model and if we are not careful, others will join in the demolition’: this is how the letter motivates the call for a boycott of the supermarket chain. The lack of social dialogue is described in the letter as ‘violence against the employees’. They denounce the way in which Delhaize, through the courts, prevents employees from expressing their dissatisfaction through strikes and collective actions.
As Delhaize takes away the rights and the collective voice of the workers, who are very often women, as the multinational wants to force its hunger for more and more profit by force, as it threatens one of the foundations of our social compromise, we must trying to restore balance by showing concrete solidarity with the workers. The most direct way to do this is to boycott the company. That is what we call for.’
In the meantime, the chain also remains the target of other actions. The tires of five vans have been punctured at a Delhaize e-commerce depot in the Flemish Brabant region of Drogenbos. A spokesman for the supermarket chain confirmed this to the Belga news agency. The puncturing of the tires is claimed by an anonymous collective. Delhaize only thinks in terms of costs and profit, it says in the email.
Last weekend there was also vandalism at several Delhaize stores. The shops were defaced, locks were blocked and windows broken. An anonymous collective said it was responsible for the damage. With the action, the collective wants to defend the right to strike, fight against the ultra-liberalization of society and call for a boycott of Delhaize stores.
On May 22, the common trade union front will hold a national event in Brussels in response to the situation at Delhaize.
2023-05-17 09:30:05
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