The 700 workers at the Ferrero factory are somewhat reassured this Wednesday morning. Last night, management and unions reached an agreement that employees continue to receive their wages despite the temporary closure of the site.
The Afsca had closed the factory after the contamination of Kinder products with salmonella.
The agreement between management and the unions provides that employees will receive their salaries at least until May 8, the company hopes that by then it will have received the green light from Afsca to restart.
Workers therefore avoid recourse to temporary unemployment and the financial loss that goes with it. The unions said they were reassured after management confirmed to them the ongoing investments in the plant. A new production line and a new warehouse will soon be launched.
However, there is still uncertainty: at full capacity, the factory has 1,100 workers. In addition to the 700 employees, seasonal workers are therefore very important. But these people received no guarantees.
At union level, a working group should be set up and meet every 10 days while waiting for Afsca to authorize the reopening of the factory.
In all, 150 cases of salmonella have been detected in nine European countries including Belgium. Infections have occurred mainly in children under 10 years old.