Fear is growing among Delhaize employees in Belgium regarding the future of their jobs, following news of a proposed Delhaize-Ahold merger, according to reports.
Dutchnews.nl has revealed that Belgian workers want to be given assurance that their positions have long-term futures, and have said that, in the absence of these, industrial action could follow.
This friction comes in the wake of news that following the retailer's negotiations with Belgian trade unions, 1,800 Delhaize jobs will be lost and some of its stores will be closed.
Conversely, the Dutch unions anticipate that the amalgamation could act as a job-creation stimulus within the Netherlands.
Ahold said in a statement that "it has entered into preliminary discussions with Delhaize Group to explore the opportunity of combining the two companies.
"These discussions may or may not result in a future transaction. The company will communicate material updates, if any, in accordance with regulatory requirements."
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly.
