By Nina Kienle


BASF said it would consider job cuts at its plant in Finland due to a lengthy permitting process with unclear outcomes.

The German chemical company said Thursday that the layoffs would be considered for an indefinite period, potentially impacting all employees at the Harjavalta site.

The layoffs come part of the change negotiations that BASF has commenced following the lengthy permitting process with unclear outcomes, leading to an unpredictable timeframe for receiving a final, unappealable permit, the company said.

Change negotiations are a statutory consultation process in Finland with employee representatives that are conducted if an employer is considering potential layoffs or other redundancy measures. The process lasts for six weeks with any possible measures being decided by the company after the process is completed, BASF said.

The change negotiations are scheduled to commence on April 15, it said.

The company's precursor cathode active materials plant in Finland received first approvals in 2020, after what it called an extensive environmental impact assessment. Since then it said it has faced appeals, setbacks and uncertainty about the future of the site.


Write to Nina Kienle at nina.kienle@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-11-24 0500ET