MD Herbert Aly said the Russian-owned group, with shipyards in Wismar, Warnemünde and Stralsund, was suffering a market downturn and must “restructure radically up to 2020”. Nordic “has to become much more efficient and shed jobs if it is to be viable in the future”,he added.
Late September yard workers were waiting to learn how many will lose jobs as talks with management apparently continued. German media reports said up to 500 jobs might be cut out of a work force of 1430.
Officials in Mecklenburg Vorpommern, the state where the Nordic yards are located, said the job losses were “regrettable” and attributable to difficulties in obtaining orders from Russia as well as to stiff competition in the offshore sector, in which Nordic specialises. It builds platforms and turbine installation as well as service and supply ships.
The jobs of many workers in Nordic’s offshore sectors appeared in particular danger. Their union, IG Metall, warned that without experienced engineers and specialists Nordic would not have a future. It urged short time working to solve the market problems.
Revealing the problems earlier Aly said the oil and gas sector had developed “less dynamically” because of falling oil prices. That had affected newbuilding investment.
Nordic also specialises in ice-breakers and Aly said that market had also been hit by the political situation between Russia and the EU.
By Tom Todd
