“Aldi assistant manager fired for alleged theft of wrap without prior payment”

Last Wednesday, an employee of the Aldi store in Tamines, in the province of Namur, took a wrap of 2.79 euros from the shelves. Ludivine, assistant manager at the supermarket for twelve years, hadn’t paid for the wrap when she took a bite. According to Aldi, that is theft and enough to put her on the street with immediate effect.

The union is furious. “She was just distracted and was going to pay it afterwards,” explains Patricia David of the French-speaking Christian trade union CNE. “Her fate was sealed within the hour,” adds trade unionist Stanny Hermans. “When I consider that it took a year and a half to fire a former Aldi director for sexual harassment, it shocks me,” he reacts fiercely.

The spokesman of Aldi Belgium, Dieter Snoeck, defends the dismissal to our colleagues from 7sur7. “The person concerned has confessed to an act of theft in our store. We have strict and very clear work regulations in this area. Theft of any kind is a serious offense. In this case dismissal applies”. The spokesperson declined to go into further detail. “A theft is a theft.”

Meanwhile, Ludivine has testified about her resignation from RTBF. “It was a mistake because I didn’t respect the procedures. I should have paid in advance, but in no way did I want to steal anything.” According to her, it has often happened that employees only pay after “consuming a product”, due to lack of time. “We only have a half-hour break,” says the former employee.

In her 12 years of service, Ludivine has “never had a comment or even a reprimand,” she explains. “For me, this punishment is radical. I would have accepted a demotion, but not to be sacked like this.” By the way, the woman shouldn’t have been at work that day. “I have a burnout and had a sick note, but I didn’t want to disappoint my team.”

“Can you imagine that?” the union woman adds. “She loses her job when she didn’t even have to come to work that day. She had a sick note, but did not want to let her colleagues down.”

Since her discharge, Ludivine is not doing well. “I can no longer sleep at night,” she responds to Sudinfo. The former employee is considering legal action. If the dismissal is found to be unlawful by the court, Ludivine is entitled to compensation.