160 jobs under threat at Bekaert’s plants in Zwevegem and Ingelmunster
The steel wire producer Bekaert has announced that it intends to scrap at total of 160 jobs at its plants in Zwevegem and Ingelmunster (both West Flanders). Bekaert made the announcement during an extraordinary meeting of the company’s works’ council.
Bekaert wants to restructure and as part of its restructuring plan the company intends to shed 160 jobs. Management at Bekaert blame several factors including the economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis.
The unions that represent those that work at Bekaert say that the news of the job cuts has come as a great blow to staff at the company.
The Christian trade union ACV’s Karel Hoorelbeke told VRT News that “This has come as a surprise. There already was a big restructuring last year at Bekaert. We had the feeling then that more would follow. However, the timing of this latest restructuring is highly cynical coming as it does in times of corona and just a few days before the Feast of Saint-Nicholas. This is a bitter pill to swallow for those that work here”.
95 of the 160 job cuts will be at the factory in Ingelmunster. Last year Bekaert shed 125 jobs. This resulted in the closure of the steel wire factory in the village of Moen, near Zwevegem.