500 Jobs at Risk at Aberdeen Based Oil Services Company
Posted 03/05/2020 09:32
Aberdeen-based energy services firm Bilfinger Salamis has started a redundancy consultation with its workforce putting more than 500 jobs at risk.
the firm said: "In response to the significant dual challenges of Covid-19 and the oil price drop, we are having to make difficult decisions about staffing levels”.
The Unite trade union confirmed Bilfinger Salamis has indicated more than 500 people are being consulted on losing their jobs, with the process beginning this week.
Bilfinger Salamis did not comment on the number of potential losses but said workers are being consulted across its sites both onshore and offshore.
The move comes despite the firm “using the government furlough scheme extensively” after reversing an earlier decision to cut 100 jobs and instead furlough the employees using the government job retention scheme.
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A Bilfinger Salamis spokeswoman said: “Like every business in the sector affected by the significant dual challenges of Covid-19 and the low oil price, we’re having to make difficult decisions about staffing levels.
“We have already introduced a number of contingency measures to safeguard jobs in the long-term. These measures include temporarily reducing working hours and remuneration for employees at our offices, across every level of the company, and using the government furlough scheme extensively.
“As the challenges posed by the low oil price strengthen, we have to prepare for what could be a prolonged period of lower activity, and so unfortunately have entered into a consultation process on redundancies for some roles in parallel to furlough leave.
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“We are engaging with all affected employees, trade unions and offshore employee representatives to ensure that they are supported through this process.”
The Bridge of Don-based business employs around 2,500 people across north-west Europe during busy summer months, however this can “ebb and flow” throughout the year.