The oil company ExxonMobil is set to cut 337 jobs in Belgium, including 202 at its headquarters in Brussels, according to trade union sources.
On Tuesday, the US group ExxonMobil announced plans to reduce its workforce in Europe by 1,200 employees by 2027 as part of a restructuring programme that will see it cut 2,000 jobs worldwide.
In early September, the Financial Times reported that the company was considering selling its chemical plants in Belgium and the United Kingdom. However, this is not expected to happen.
In Belgium, the American company owns two polyethylene plants in Zwijndrecht (East Flanders) and Meerhout (Antwerp), as well as a refinery and a petrochemical site in the port of Antwerp.
ExxonMobil stated earlier that it was committed to building a new office building near its Antwerp refinery, where the company plans to house its employees currently working in Brussels. "The new location will also house our new European technology centre," the company explained.
According to the group, the changes are needed to maintain the company's competitiveness in Europe and create value for shareholders. "We intend to bring most of our employees together in this area or move them closer to the production sites. A few small offices in the region will therefore be closed."
According to ExxonMobil, Europe is not a very attractive place to invest at the moment.
"Regulations are more complex than in other parts of the world, and this has an impact on costs," it said. "These regulations and intense bureaucracy force companies to invest more resources to comply with these requirements."
The changes in Europe are subject to consultation processes, as applicable in each country.
