Boskalis to cut 650 staff in 'drastic' decision

Announcing the results of a fleet rationalization plan Boskalis said the market had changed drastically due to low energy and commodity prices.

“Because we expect these market conditions to persist in the coming years it is essential that we adapt the size and composition of our fleet to this new reality,” said Peter Berdowski, ceo of Boskalis.

As result the company will be taking 24 vessels out of service between 2016 – 2018, with 10 coming from its dredging business, and 14 from its offshore energy division. The cuts to the fleet will result 650 job losses, which come from a “cross-section” of nationalities, including 150 Dutch staff.

“We are fully aware that this intended decision is drastic and that it will have a major social impact. While we will try to absorb the work force reduction through attrition and redeployment wherever possible, compulsory redundancies unfortunately look to be unavoidable,” Berdowski said.

“A reduction of the number of vessels and jobs is however necessary to ensure that Boskalis remains healthy going forward."

The vessels to be removed from the fleet include suction hopper dredgers, cutter suction dredgers, anchor handling tugs and heavy transport vessels, and will be either scrapped, sold or laid-up. The average age of the vessels to be scrapped is 30 years old.