Ikea Hognoul picketed after union delegate dismissal

Workers at the Ikea store in Hognoul, in Belgium’s Liège province, established a picket line on Thursday morning, blocking customer access to protest the dismissal of a union delegate. The action, organized by the CNE (National Confederation of Employees) Christian trade union, began in the morning and marks the latest escalation in a long-running labor dispute at the Swedish furniture giant’s Belgian operations.

Background of the dispute

The protest follows a dismissal procedure initiated by Ikea management against a union delegate whom the CNE describes as “a particularly active workers’ representative” involved in recent social mobilizations. According to RTBF, the union states that a court has already examined the grounds invoked by the company for the dismissal and refused to terminate the delegate’s employment contract. The delegate continues to work at Ikea while the legal process unfolds.

Ikea management maintains that the procedure concerning the delegate is still ongoing and that the company will respect the court’s decision.

A history of labor unrest

This is not the first time tensions have boiled over at Ikea Hognoul. The store has been a flashpoint for labor disputes for years. In September 2021, workers staged a spontaneous strike over deteriorating working conditions. But the most significant confrontation came in September-October 2025, when a 10-day strike shut down the Hognoul store and spread to five other Belgian Ikea locations — Anderlecht, Wilrijk, Mons, Ghent, and Zaventem.

As Syndicats Magazine reported, the 2025 strike was triggered by management’s imposition of a “polyvalence” (multi-skilling) system requiring workers to rotate across departments without adequate training. Unions reported that approximately 80% of staff participated in the walkout. Workers described being unable to take holiday leave, with one employee denied a day off to attend their child’s school performance.

The strike ended with an agreement securing 13 new permanent contracts (CDI), commitments to working groups on reorganization, and regular evaluations. However, unions noted this was only a partial victory and that underlying issues remained unresolved.

Current demands and implications

Manuel Gonzalez, CNE permanent representative, characterized the dismissal as “a serious attack against a particularly active workers’ representative” and expressed the union’s “fed up with a social climate that has become unacceptable.” A staff assembly was scheduled for Thursday to determine whether to continue the action throughout the day.

The timing is significant. As The Bulletin documented during the 2025 strike, unions have consistently reported a shortage of approximately “two full-time equivalents per department” and a rising rate of illness and burnout among workers. The dismissal of a union delegate — who enjoys strong legal protections under Belgian labor law — represents a new and more serious escalation.

Broader context

The Hognoul dispute unfolds against a backdrop of heightened labor militancy in Belgium. May 2026 has seen strikes by teachers, postal workers at bpost, and employees at Air Liquide, reflecting widespread discontent across multiple sectors. The October 2025 precedent, where the Hognoul strike rapidly spread to other stores, raises the possibility of broader solidarity actions if the delegate’s dismissal is perceived as retaliatory for union activity.

What to watch

The immediate focus is on the outcome of Thursday’s staff assembly and whether the picket line intensifies or de-escalates. Longer term, the legal case concerning the delegate’s dismissal could set a precedent for how Belgian courts handle the dismissal of union delegates in large multinational retailers. The underlying issues — staffing shortages, the multi-skilling system, and management-union relations — remain unresolved despite the October 2025 agreement, suggesting that further labor action at Ikea’s Belgian stores may be inevitable without systemic changes.