Carpet manufacturer Balta plans to reduce production at sites in Sint-Eloois-Vijve (Waregem – West Flanders) and Sint-Baafs-Vijve (Wielsbeke – West Flanders). 529 jobs are under threat. Balta made the announcement in a press release on Thursday.
Balta says that as a result of continued pressure on demand and costs, it is ‘no longer financially viable to continue the large-scale production of woven carpets in Belgium’.
The proposed restructuring is expected to result in the phased lay-off of 467 workers and 62 white-collar employees over an 18-month period. Certain operations are being transferred to existing sites in Turkey.
News came unexpectedly
‘This news has impacted like a bomb,’ Steve Meseure of the socialist trade union says. ‘We were invited to a special works council at around 9 o'clock this morning.’
"There has been a lot of temporary unemployment in recent years. The company has failed in its efforts to become profitable again. We knew they were facing structural losses. But there were also positive signs, including the start of a new collection. So many jobs being axed, we didn't see that coming."
Starting tomorrow, the unions will enter talks with management, hoping to save some jobs.