The works councils of chemical companies Sabic Limburg BV and Sabic IP are appealing to the Enterprise Chamber against the decision of parent company Sabic to move its European headquarters from Sittard to Amsterdam. The works councils previously issued a negative advice on this intention of the Saudi chemical company.
Part of the office staff – 160 employees – is moving to the capital. The remaining 240 employees will move to the Chemelot industrial estate in Sittard. On that industrial estate, Sabic produces plastics, gasoline and other chemicals in ten factories.
With the decision to move, the Sabic management did not care about the negative advice and protests plus a petition from the staff. The objections of the Works Councils and trade unions focus, among other things, on the impact of the move on staff and on the safety of office workers on the Chemelot site. A lawsuit is currently underway against the chemical company following a series of calamities and incidents at that complex. Sabic heard a fine of 25 million euros demanded against him on Monday.
The current European headquarters, built with the support of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen and the province of Limburg, opened in 2006. It is not yet exactly clear when the Enterprise Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam will consider the relocation of the Sabic office.