The number of people returning to work at Clarebout is increasing, according to reports from both the French fry manufacturer and the unions.
According to the Belgian fries producer, 90% of people have now returned to work. The ACV union acknowledges that many people have returned to work. "We cannot provide exact numbers, but the 90% figure seems a gross exaggeration to us," ACV stated when asked.
The unions are seeing more and more people returning to work for financial reasons. The strike has been going on for two weeks, and even then, it's already half a month's wages that are at stake. People are forced to return to work due to financial hardship, the union says. This doesn't eliminate the reason for the strike. The unions aren't ruling out other actions.
The problem remains that the unions and the employer have not yet resolved the employee discontent. The staff wants to profit from the large sums of money owner Jan Clarebout is raking in from the sale of his company to the American food giant Simplot. The unions estimate the sale price at over €3 billion.
Bonus for staff
Clarebout promised its employees a net bonus of €500 per employee, with an additional bonus for employees with more than ten or twenty years of service. This proposal was rejected by the unions a week ago as insufficient. The parties have not met again since then.
The Belgian fries group is one of the largest potato processors in the world, with factories in Belgium and France. In 1988, the company transitioned from sorting and packaging fresh potatoes to producing frozen potato products. The group has grown significantly, particularly in recent years.