IKEA strike action ends after agreement on working conditions
Management and trade unions at IKEA in Liège have reached an agreement following mediation, ending several days of industrial action.
Staff at the Swedish furniture giant are unhappy with deteriorating working conditions and staff shortages. A reconciliation meeting was held on Wednesday.
According to IKEA, the solutions include “planning and organising work to reduce the workload and simplifying internal procedures”. The two sides participated in the consultations voluntarily and constructively, the company said in a press release.
Regular evaluations
According to Manuel Gonzalez of the French-speaking Christian trade union CNE Commerce, management has agreed to offer employees permanent contracts instead of the planned fixed-term and student contracts. Regular evaluations of working conditions will also be organised.
The agreement, which only refers to the Liège branch of the group, will be presented to employees and activities will resume as usual at all stores on Thursday, the company says.
The strike and other union actions began on 30 September in Liège and spread to Anderlecht, Zaventem, Ghent, Mons and Wilrijk.
National negotiations
Union representatives say the dispute goes beyond workload and staffing. They point to broader pressures in the retail sector, including low pay, irregular hours, and increased demands for flexibility, which have made the job less attractive.
“We are now focusing on national negotiations,” said Sven De Scheemaeker, trade union secretary of ACV Puls. “These will start on 15 October.”
The unions want to start intensive negotiations in the coming weeks and months to resolve structural problems in all stores, he said. “The ball is now in the court of the national management, and we expect an open mind and a constructive attitude.”
Workers block the entrance of the IKEA furniture store in Liège, 7 October 2025 © BELGA PHOTO LAUREANE BARBIER
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