| Summary: | This article has highlighted the results of a study of the geography of five strike movements in contemporary Belgian supermarkets, at Delhaize (2014, 2017), Carrefour (2018), Lidl (2018) and Mestdagh (2018). Initially, the analysis focused on the spatial dynamics of the various conflicts. Common trends emerge, such as inter-regional contrasts between Flanders and Wallonia, intra-regional differences around areas such as the former Walloon industrial axis, and a general concentration of conflict in urban agglomerations. Secondly, the study attempted to discuss the question of the factors explaining the spatial variability of strike action in contemporary mass retailing. We began by trying to understand whether this geography of conflict was specific to the supermarket sector. We then sought to shed light on the historical influence of socio-economic and political structures on the propensity to strike, as well as that of union structures and subjective factors.
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