Aldi workers strike over plans for Sunday opening

About 40 Aldi supermarkets were closed on Saturday as workers strike over management’s plans to open stores on Sundays.

The closures were mainly in Flanders, RTBF reports, with five in Wallonia and Brussels, including an Aldi store in Laeken.

Unions walked out of negotiations on Thursday and as many as 60 stores were closed at one point in the wake of the breakdown as spontaneous protests broke out.

Unions in Flanders say some local management teams were putting pressure on employees who went on strike over the weekend.

Aldi announced its intention to open on Sundays to the trade unions last Thursday and sent managers to the group’s various stores to inform staff. The unions then walked out of the meeting.

The CNE and Setca unions say they regret the management’s approach, which introduced the issue of Sunday opening during discussions that were supposed to address other staff demands, particularly regarding pay rises.

The supermarket chain said in a statement that it had "confidence in constructive social dialogue".