The management of the CORA hypermarket brand and the unions met this Thursday, a month to the day after the announcement of the activity of the activity of the seven hypermarkets and the support services of the brand for January 31, 2026. More than 1,700 jobs are threatened in Wallonia and Brussels by the closure of Cora.
“We have not yet really negotiated today but we have received a series of information“On several thorny subjects, said Thursday evening, after the meeting, the president of the setca, Myriam Delmée.
One of these questions concerns “the way the activity will continue“In stores while they will start to be restructured from September 30. Non-food activities will then be closed as and when in view of a store transformation, which will lead to the first salvas of layoffs.
“The question is how we will do to have the right people at the right time without forcing any worker to be dismissed too early but without forcing Workers who would not want to stay“, Sums in substance Myriam Delmée.
Register
To see more clearly, management will draw up a “register“Workers’ wishes who must then be refined store by store by local officials.
Directorate and union also mentioned the issue of dismissal allowances for the many partial workers in the brand. The unions stress that many workers have reduced their services “To be of service“In Cora and should therefore not be penalized.
The same logic prevails, according to the unions, for temporary workers who have sometimes been so long, failing to be granted a permanent contract. “”We also ask for special attention for these people“, Continues Myriam Delmée. But”We walk on eggs. We are on the razor thread“Summarizes the president of the setca.
The unions fear that Cora’s management does not simply go towards a bankruptcy if they are too demanding.
In addition, the Mitiska real estate group, to which the management will sell the stores and the attractive commercial galleries, did not participate in the meeting this Thursday.
Direction and union planned to meet again on May 15 and 21. Mitiska representatives should be present in the May 21 meeting.
Until then, a meeting is planned with the cabinet of the Walloon Minister of Employment, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, on May 12, for a new meeting of the crisis cell. The Setca will argue there for the establishment of a conversion cell led by Forem and not by a private outplacement company.
