Following the decision by the Cora group to cease its operations in Belgium, with the announced closure of its seven stores, 5 in Wallonia and 2 in Brussels, 1,779 jobs are now at risk. In response to this announcement, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Walloon Minister for Employment, has decided to set up an interregional crisis unit.
This unit will bring together the regional Employment Ministers: Pierre-Yves Jeholet for Wallonia, Bernard Clerfayt for the Brussels-Capital Region, and Zuhal Demir for the Flemish Region. David Clarinval, federal Minister for Employment, will also be involved in the work, along with representatives of the public employment and training bodies: Forem, Actiris and VDAB.
“It is our role to stand alongside the workers affected by this announcement. We cannot wait for the notification phase of collective redundancies to act. It is essential to prepare a coordinated public response to this human tragedy affecting thousands of families and workers,” said Minister Pierre-Yves Jeholet.
The aim of this initiative is clear: to anticipate the entry of workers into the labour market in the event of collective redundancy, and to prepare the arrangements for effective support.
While giving priority to social dialogue between union representatives and Cora's management, Minister Jeholet has tasked Forem with preparing, within this crisis unit, a full draft social emergency plan. This plan should make it possible to define the joint actions of the three Regions to ensure rapid and appropriate redeployment of the workers concerned.
Should negotiations under the Renault procedure succeed, the Regions, at the initiative of the Walloon Minister for Employment and under the coordination of Forem, will set up a single employment unit, whose action will be carried out at regional and local level by Forem, Actiris and VDAB.