Carrefour outlets remain closed as strike continues

Some 40 Carrefour supermarkets in Brussels and Wallonia remained closed today as a strike that started last week continued. Unions are set to meet with management tomorrow.

The strike concerns staff working for Carrefour markets franchised by the Mestdagh Group, based in Hainaut. Most of the affected outlets are in Liège province.

Workers are striking against the heavy workload they say they have to endure as Mestdagh tends to bring in students to work temporarily rather than hire more permanent staff. A constant new flow of workers requires the regulars to train people every day.

“The regular employees just cannot handle it anymore,” said union representative Evelyne Zebus. “Every day they see a different person showing up.”

The Mestdagh Group outlets are also plagued by poor organisation of work, said Zebus, as well as a lack of ongoing training for staff and a failure to plan ahead for busier times, such as the holiday season.

It is unclear if the supermarkets will be open on Tuesday as talks resume between unions and management.

Photo ©Virginie Lefour/BELGA