Confederations build for joint national protest in defence of union rights

The three trade union confederations – ACV/CSC, ABVV/FGTB and ACLVB/CGLSB are organising a national demonstration on 22 May in protest against increasing anti-union actions by employers and the authorities. The coordinated action is prompted by the conflict in the Delhaize supermarket chain where unions have been striking and campaigning against the company’s plans to franchise all its stores, posing a major threat to jobs and working conditions. Unions have been met with a hardline response from both the employer and aggressive tactics from the police. The confederations are concerned that this intimidation reflects the development a broader anti-union environment that poses a threat to trade unions and workers across all sectors.