Aldi employee fired after 12 years for eating €2.79 roll without paying upfront: ‘Theft is theft’ | HLN’s Instagram

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

Union is angry. “It was a distraction and you’ll pay it after,” explains Patricia David of the French-speaking Christian trade union CNE. Trade unionist Stani Hermans adds: “Her fate was decided within an hour.” “When I consider that it took a year and a half to fire a former Aldi manager for sexual harassment, it shocks me,” he backlashed.

Aldi Belgium spokesperson Dieter Snook defends the expulsion of our colleagues from 7sur7. “The person concerned has admitted to committing a robbery in our store. We have very strict and clear business regulations in this area. Theft of any kind is a serious offense. In this case dismissal applies.” The spokesperson declined to go into further details. “Theft is theft.”

Meanwhile, Ludivine 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 often happens that employees pay only after the product has been “consumed”, 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 drastic. I would have accepted a demotion, but not been fired in this way.” By the way, women don’t have to be at work that day. “I’m tired and have a sick note, but I didn’t want to disappoint my team.”

The union woman adds: “Can you imagine that?” “She lost her job when she didn’t have to come to work that day. She had a sick note, but she didn’t want to disappoint her colleagues.”