In Belgium, the Delhaize supermarket chain has recently announced its plans to franchise out all the 128 stores that it currently runs itself. The company, which merged in 2015 with the Dutch Ahold, has already over 600 stores franchised in the country.
The move would result in the newly franchised stores being classified as independent, for which working conditions are worse. Concretely, this would mean, lower salary rates, more working time uncertainty and Sunday work for 9,000 people.
The move risks further paving the way for competing retailers to follow Delhaize’s example. This would normalize Sunday work, produce an even higher flexibility in working time, with a negative impact on work-life balance for the workers in the retail sector.
Workers and their unions have strongly condemned the move of the corporation which recorded record profits over the past number of years. Strikes have taken place at Delhaize supermarkets across the country.
Support the fight of Delhaize workers, sign the online petition.
