Lanxess factory will close unless strike ends, company warns

“We are devoting all available resources to reaching an agreement as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said. “But there isn’t much time left.” Unions had been given a deadline of “a couple of weeks,” he said.

“We regret that this is the language management is using,” said Inge Paeshuys of the Christian trade union ACV, which is striking with its socialist counterpart, ABVV. “At the moment the talks are aimed at fixing the agreements reached in the sector accord. We should be discussing that.”

The plant employs 435 people, and the strike has now lasted seven weeks. Unions and management are attempting to agree on a new collective labour agreement after the company’s initial proposal was rejected by unions.

“The collapse of the collective agreement was used as an excuse by the local representative to call a strike,” Lanxess spokesperson Philippe Van Wassenhove said. “For them it’s all about power.”

“It would be better for this kind of communication to stop,” said ABVV representative Patrick Lodewijckx. He said the statement from Germany this week showed that management was “willing to seek a constructive dialogue with workers and unions for a fair solution. That’s positive. We’re more in line with management, in wanting to co-operate on finding a solution that’s good for both parties.”