Delhaize will meet labour unions tomorrow regarding Ahold merger

Dick Boer (Ahold) to become CEO?

The extraordinary Employees Council will start tomorrow morning at 7h30, but the labour unions are not in favour of the Ahold merger as they fear the staff will face the negative outcome of such a deal. Delhaize has already undergone a series of restructuring plans, cutting 1,800 jobs along the way.

Delhaize and Ahold have been in merger talks for a while and are in the final straight towards a deal. According to several sources, Ahold would get 60 % of shares in the new company, while Delhaize would get the remaining 40 %. Ahold’s CEO, Dick Boer, would become the overall CEO, while Delhaize’s CEO, Frans Muller, will be charged with the smooth transition.

Mats Jason, Delhaize’s chairman, would keep the position of chairman in the new company, with Jeff Carr as his Chief Financial Officer, the position he now has at Ahold.

Sources believe the merger will be finalized this week, which means that shareholders will have to approve the deal after that. Ahold has issued a press release, asking everyone to remain calm and acknowledging that the talks are in a final phase, but not finished yet.