**At Balta in St Bavo-Vijve, 295 jobs are at risk. The company announced this on Wednesday.**
At Balta in Sint-Baafs-Vijve, 295 jobs are at risk. It concerns 30 white-collar workers, the rest are blue-collar workers. This morning there was a special works council, and that already caused a lot of unrest at the company. Unrest that was actually never gone: British owner Victoria already closed the site in Avelgem last year. Of the 500 jobs, about half were eliminated, the rest could go to the other sites. But now Balta is also cutting its headquarters in Sint-Baafs-Vijve.
**NO LONGER PROFITABLE**
The by far most important market for broadloom carpet is the UK. Due to the economic crisis, demand there fell dramatically. Balta saw broadloom carpet volumes there fall by 60 per cent in recent years.
Balta itself responds that the decision had become inevitable. According to Balta, labour costs at our premises are seventy per cent higher than in the UK.
However, the company denies that all production here would disappear.
“Reduced volume combined with high labour costs and sky-high energy prices make production no longer profitable, says managing director Marc Dessein. The production process is very energy-intensive. “The monster prices for energy are no longer bearable for us,” he says. Moreover, the machinery was made for high volumes, which are no longer there. “We have far too much capacity, and the costs in Belgium are no longer sustainable.”
**THOROUGHLY REARRANGED**
Victoria has owned the Balta brand name since last year, and the plants in Sint-Baafs-Vijve, Sint-Eloois-Vijve, Oudenaarde and Turkey. They have since closed the plant in Avelgem. The original Balta is now called Belysse, and still has production in Tielt and Zele in East Flanders, and in Los Angeles. Its headquarters are in Waregem.
**HOW IS IT GOING IN TEXTILES?**
Yet things are not going badly in all parts of the textile sector, says sector federation Fedustria. “The silver lining is that there are many job opportunities. In fact, they can quickly find work elsewhere. They are in demand because they have certain capabilities” says Fa Quix.
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**At Balta in St Bavo-Vijve, 295 jobs are at risk. The company announced this on Wednesday.**
At Balta in Sint-Baafs-Vijve, 295 jobs are at risk. It concerns 30 white-collar workers, the rest are blue-collar workers. This morning there was a special works council, and that already caused a lot of unrest at the company. Unrest that was actually never gone: British owner Victoria already closed the site in Avelgem last year. Of the 500 jobs, about half were eliminated, the rest could go to the other sites. But now Balta is also cutting its headquarters in Sint-Baafs-Vijve.
**NO LONGER PROFITABLE**
The by far most important market for broadloom carpet is the UK. Due to the economic crisis, demand there fell dramatically. Balta saw broadloom carpet volumes there fall by 60 per cent in recent years.
Balta itself responds that the decision had become inevitable. According to Balta, labour costs at our premises are seventy per cent higher than in the UK.
However, the company denies that all production here would disappear.
“Reduced volume combined with high labour costs and sky-high energy prices make production no longer profitable, says managing director Marc Dessein. The production process is very energy-intensive. “The monster prices for energy are no longer bearable for us,” he says. Moreover, the machinery was made for high volumes, which are no longer there. “We have far too much capacity, and the costs in Belgium are no longer sustainable.”
**THOROUGHLY REARRANGED**
Victoria has owned the Balta brand name since last year, and the plants in Sint-Baafs-Vijve, Sint-Eloois-Vijve, Oudenaarde and Turkey. They have since closed the plant in Avelgem. The original Balta is now called Belysse, and still has production in Tielt and Zele in East Flanders, and in Los Angeles. Its headquarters are in Waregem.
**HOW IS IT GOING IN TEXTILES?**
Yet things are not going badly in all parts of the textile sector, says sector federation Fedustria. “The silver lining is that there are many job opportunities. In fact, they can quickly find work elsewhere. They are in demand because they have certain capabilities” says Fa Quix.
Translated with [www.DeepL.com/Translator](http://www.DeepL.com/Translator) (free version)
Sint-Baafs-Vijve is in Wielsbeke. Sint-Eloois-Vijve is in Waregem.
Or in the local language: Sènte-Boafs is in Wielsbeke, Vuvve in Woaregem.
Half a dozen family member worked there at one point. I don’t think anyone still does, but sad to see the textile industry along the golden river go.
Overlaatst ook een vestiging van beaullieu gesloten van de tapijten, logisch, niemabd koopt nog tapijten.