Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Petroleum services company Bilfinger is to reduce its staff in Norway by 500 employees before the end of 2014.
Reduced investments and budget cuts in the petroleum industry has hit the company hard as several of its big customers are now reducing their activities. Iniatially the company announced plans to reduce its staff by 600 before the end of 2014. Initially, 562 shift leaders and operators and about 30 administrative employees received dismissals, but 100 of the dismissals were withdrawn at the end of October as the company managed to secure new contracts. The remaining positions will still be cut, and Bilfinger is working closely with the unions in order to facilitate the process. Seniority and competence will be the deciding selection criteria. Female employees and trainees will be retained, as far as possible. Affected employees are mostly located in Bergen and Stavanger. The majority of employees affected will be without a job in November.
Update, 20/03/2015: In March 2015, Bilifinger announced that an additional 50 permanent employees will be dismissed. This last round of reductions will bring the total number of permanent employees dismissed up to 250, according to the company. However, the local union put the number of permanent employees dismissed closer to 300.
In addition, 1,000-1,500 workers employed by Bilfinger through employment agencies have had their contracts terminated and 200 more are at risk of not having their contracts renewed after the company completes a major project in May.
A total of 1,694 employees remain in the company after this round of restructuring. The local union is concerned that additional rounds of restructuring may be necessary, because of the volatile market situation.
Eurofound (2014), Bilfinger Industrier, Internal restructuring in Norway, factsheet number 77592, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/77592.
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