German supermarket chain Aldi wants to open all its Belgian stores on Sunday mornings. Although working on Sundays would be voluntary for staff, the trade unions are worried, pointing out potential issues with employment legislation and the practical organisation of the work.
Supermarket chain Aldi wants to open stores on Sundays from 8.30 AM to 1 PM, spokesperson Jason Sevestre confirms. Staff would be able to choose to work on Sundays on a voluntary basis. Workers wishing to work on Sundays will receive a financial allowance or extra hours off in return. The stores will not be open on public holidays. It is not yet clear when Aldi intends to start Sunday opening.
When at the end of April, the chain announced that it was considering Sunday opening, this led to spontaneous strikes.
Consultations with the trade unions
There have not yet been any real talks on Sunday opening, says Koen Vanschoubroeck of the Christian ACV Puls trade union. “We want to finalise a few other issues first,” says the union rep.
The ACV is willing to voice its reservations about the proposals. "Management wants to keep the shops open until 1 pm. But labour legislation prohibits shops from being open after 12 noon on Sundays,” says Vanschoubroeck. “There is also talk of opening shores with just one employee and a student worker. That was met with derision from the staff.”
According to the independent trade union SYNOVA, formerly the liberal union, reaching an agreement on Sunday opening is not straightforward and will not be achieved before the summer. In principle, there are “no major stumbling blocks”, says sector representative Wilson Wellens. “People are relieved that it is on a voluntary basis. We’re not exactly jumping for joy, but Sunday opening is hard to stop. And for some employees, it’s an attractive prospect.”
Further talks are scheduled for 29 June.