The European headquarters of the Saudi chemical group Sabic is moving from Sittard to Amsterdam. This happens despite negative advice from the works council. The council must decide by November 8 whether to appeal to the Enterprise Chamber.
Of the four hundred employees at the European Sabic office, 160 will go to the capital. The others may get a workplace at the Chemelot complex in the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. On that industrial estate, Sabic produces plastics, petrols and other chemicals in ten factories. About a thousand people now work there for the group. In 2002, Sabic took over petrochemicals and plastics production from DSM for 2.3 billion euros.
Sabic announced at the end of last year that it wanted to move its European office. Staff protested against this, supported by trade unions. About four hundred employees spoke out in a petition against the proposed move.
Casper Vaandrager, negotiator of the Synergo/VHP trade union, is surprised that the Sabic management is going ahead with the move. “Can Sabic get the right people in Amsterdam? And how long will the now promised employment in Limburg continue to exist?”
Ed Leunissen, union director at CNV Vakmensen shares these concerns. He also wonders how safe housing for office staff is on a chemical industry site. “Previously, a movement the other way around was visible.”
Sensitive loss
The Sabic office, a striking building on one of Sittard’s main access roads, opened in 2006. At the time, it was considered a revolutionary design, partly due to the flexible workplaces up to management level. The municipality of Sittard-Geleen contributed 4.2 million euros to the construction, the province of Limburg 1 million euros. The condition was that Sabic would leave his offices in Sittard for at least fifteen years. When that period expired, rumors about a possible move arose almost immediately.
Sabic’s departure is a significant loss for Sittard and its business park. Last year, Mediahuis Limburg, publisher of the daily newspaper De Limburger, among others, exchanged Sittard for Maastricht. DSM, which now focuses on chemicals for health and nutrition, closed its office complex in Sittard in 2020 and moved to Heerlen. It has a new head office in Maastricht under construction.