Lanxess to realign butyl rubber plant in Belgium

ERJ staff report (RD)

Zwijndrecht, Belgium - Chemicals specialist Lanxess AG plans to realign its Lanxess Rubber NV subsidiary in Zwijndrecht to improve the competitiveness of the plant's butyl rubber production.

To achieve this aim the company said it will have to reduce personnel -- up to 93 jobs out of 470 at the plant. Lanxess said it would offer the affected employees an early retirement program on a voluntary basis.

The management of Lanxess Rubber NV will discuss the plans with the employee representatives and is confident that, through constructive dialogue, acceptable and socially responsible solutions can be found that will safeguard the future of the Zwijndrecht site on a sustained basis and will be in the interests of both the affected employees and the company, Lanxess said.

This latest effort follows an efficiency program launched at the Zwijndrecht site in 2006, under which a number of measures were introduced to improve productivity and lower raw materials and energy costs.

Lanxess operates three production plants in Belgium with around 1 500 employees through its companies, Lanxess Rubber NV and Lanxess NV.

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From Press Release