Delhaize staff warn of strike action as negotiations with management break down

Staff at Delhaize supermarkets around Belgium have threatened to walk out on strike in an ongoing dispute over working conditions.

Two unions representing Delhaize employees have filed a strike notice after the latest round of negotiations with management ended in vain.

Workers are protesting about a reorganisation of working conditions, first introduced in 2019 to allow stores to be run more efficiently.

The new plan saw the creation of cross-functional teams which can be deployed to a broader range of jobs and departments within each store.

A mobile team was also set up, with workers posted to different stores based on staffing needs due to absence.

Two unions - Setca-BBTK and CGSLB-ACLVB - are not happy with the arrangements and have put forward alternative proposals, which Delhaize management have reportedly rejected.

A conciliation meeting took place on Monday, without reaching a solution. The unions involved say strike action will follow within two weeks if a compromise cannot be reached before then.