Lidl: a store manager on hunger strike to challenge his dismissal

Europe 1 with AFP 3:44 p.m., April 27, 2022

The director of the Lidl supermarket in Joigny (Yonne), accused of having violated the policy on personal purchases and then dismissed, indicated on Wednesday that he had started a hunger strike with the support of the employees of his store in order to to be reinstated.

This 30-year-old leader, in office for four years, learned of his dismissal for "real and serious cause" in a letter dated April 15, which AFP obtained.

"I was naive"

His management accuses him of having "taken out" at the end of February for "personal purposes" and "without paying for them" four items from another supermarket in the group in which he had exceptionally been called in as reinforcements and of not have reimbursed only three days later.

The amount of this "transfer of goods" is 89.95 euros.

“I started a hunger strike this morning in front of the store in order to obtain my reinstatement,” said the employee, who is also a city councilor.

According to him, Lidl had initially assured him on April 6 that he would simply suffer "5 days of layoff".

On Monday and Tuesday, supermarket employees went on strike to support their store manager, named 3rd of the best establishments in the region in 2021.

“I was naive, he explained. It was to help me out. I had been called to help out in another establishment and I had finished around one in the morning. then took steps to regularize, but I forgot to repay the next day and I only did so two days later given my very many professional obligations".

The management believes that he "breached his obligations of loyalty"

In his letter, the management considers that he has "altered the bond of trust" and "breached his obligations of loyalty", as well as his "contractual obligations".

“This sanction was taken on the basis of faults committed and established for which we have factual and solid elements”, reacted in a press release Lidl, which “does not intend to reconsider its decision”.

"The situation is incomprehensible and unacceptable," said Mohamed Sylla (Unsa).

"If the fraud is proven, how can we then let him manage his store for a month and a half? It's not serious. His whole team supports him, the symbol is strong".

On Wednesday, the trade unionist said he called a doctor to examine the dismissed director.