(ICIS) -- LyondellBasell's refinery at Berre L'Etang, France, restarted on Monday after employees agreed to return to work following a 10-day strike, the Netherlands-headquartered petrochemical producer said. LyondellBasell's management decided to restart the plant for three months until 31 December before having it mothballed for up to two years, allowing time to find a possible buyer for the facility, according to company spokesman David Harpole.
Industrial action was initially triggered when LyondellBasell announced it intended to close its 105,000 bbl/day refinery at Berre L'Etang, having failed to find a buyer for the asset. About 370 jobs would have been affected. The strike action forced LyondellBasell to shut its refinery and petrochemical site on 27 September.
However, an agreement, reached on Friday night in Paris in joint discussions between refinery management and union representatives, was approved by employees in a special assembly on Saturday, Harpole said.