No retail strikes during national day of action in Belgium

Despite the trade unions’ call for employees in the retail sector to join the strike on the national day of action today, there has been no disruption in stores or distribution centres.

No “consumption strike” either

A survey by newspaper La Libre and a sample check by RetailDetail confirm that the impact on the entire retail sector is virtually non-existent. All supermarkets are open and there are no blockades at distribution centres, Aldi, Carrefour, Colruyt and Delhaize report. Some people are absent to take part in the action, but this has no consequences for the supply of stores or for customer service.

The unions had called on retail workers to join the strike and protest today, to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s planned easing on night work, opening hours and the mandatory weekly day of rest. Although the turnout at the demonstration in Brussels is quite large, there is no sign of a “supermarket strike.”

The unions’ call to consumers to hold a “consumption strike” today by not going shopping and joining the protests also seems to have fallen on deaf ears: “The call not to go shopping is not being heeded”, Delhaize replied. “People are just doing their shopping as usual”, spokesperson Hans Cardyn of sector federation Comeos said.