300 jobs at stake at Bayer and Lanxess

26 September 2007

ANTWERP – Management at chemical company Bayer Antwerp is scrapping 155 jobs. 50 employees will be transferred to other partners. Chemical company Lanxess also announced a reorganisation this morning possibly affecting 127 workers.

Bayer is planning measures to cut costs and increase efficiency to improve the competitiveness of its Antwerp site. “The heightened competition worldwide because of rising prices for energy, raw materials and personnel makes measures necessary to keep the Antwerp location competitive in future,” management said.

The company said it was necessary for Bayer and Lanxess (a spin off of Bayer) to be able to operate entirely independently of each other. “That is why the joint service level agreements are being drastically reduced. Both companies will operate in future as separate technical business units.”

Bayer Antwerp currently employs about 900 workers and realised turnover of about EUR 1 billion in 2006.

127 jobs are at stake at Lanxess. Lanxess has worked out proposals for most of the employees; these offers still have to be discussed with the union representatives.

“Every effort will be made to help the rest of the workers who may become redundant to find a new job. One option may be to set up an employment unit for this purpose,” Lanxess announced.

The company said that rapidly changing market circumstances and the need for operational independence made reorganisation absolutely necessary. Lanxess hopes the reorganisation can recover the company’s competitive strength. The company employs about 1,000 workers.

Subject: Belgian news