KEY POINTS
- ExxonMobil’s Antwerp refinery will stop production from June 29 to July 3 due to a workers’ strike.
- Employees are protesting plans to cut 35 jobs, worsening working conditions, and reduced early-retirement opportunities.
- The refinery, capable of processing 320,000 barrels of crude oil per day, is one of ExxonMobil’s largest refining facilities in Europe.
ExxonMobil’s major oil refinery in Antwerp, Belgium, is set to temporarily suspend production for five days following a planned strike by workers protesting job losses and what they describe as worsening workplace conditions.
According to the company’s press office, operations at the refinery will be halted from June 29 to July 3, 2026, as employees embark on industrial action against a restructuring programme that includes significant workforce reductions.
The strike marks a major disruption for one of Europe’s key refining facilities and highlights growing tensions between management and labour unions over the future of ExxonMobil’s operations in Belgium.
Workers Oppose Planned Job Reductions
The industrial action is largely driven by opposition to ExxonMobil’s decision to eliminate 35 positions at the Antwerp refinery, which currently employs approximately 735 workers.
The ABVV Petroleum union, which represents refinery workers, said employees are concerned that the layoffs are part of a broader corporate restructuring effort affecting ExxonMobil’s operations across Belgium.
According to the union, the wider reorganisation could ultimately result in a 20 per cent reduction in the company’s workforce nationwide, raising fears about job security among employees.
Union leaders argue that the planned workforce cuts come at a time when employees have continued to support operations despite challenging market conditions and increased workloads.
Beyond the proposed job losses, workers have also voiced concerns about what they describe as deteriorating working conditions at the refinery.
The union stated that employees are increasingly dissatisfied with staffing levels, workplace pressures, and a perceived reduction in opportunities for early retirement.
