A new special works council did not deliver anything at TotalEnergies on Friday. The French oil and gas giant wants to get rid of its 619 petrol stations in Belgium and Luxembourg. “We are going to communicate to the staff that we were in front of closed doors,” said Hans Christiaens. Earlier this month, the company had announced the sale of the 619 petrol stations in Belgium and Luxembourg. TotalEnergies is transferring it to a joint venture, in which the Canadian Couche-Tard will have the majority. TotalEnergies retains 40 percent. Christiaens denounced the “cynical” tone of the Belgian management of TotalEnergies at the works council. He also expressed fears that Couche-Tard’s management style would import a neoliberal mentality into our country. Couche-Tard is alleged to have acted anti-syndically in Canada in the past, according to the trade unionist. The company would “not be a ‘premium’ employee on a social level”. A next meeting is scheduled after the Easter holidays on April 17th. According to BBTK, around 900 people work in the petrol stations and associated shops in our country, and another 130 in the support services.
