Aker to Cut 280 Jobs in Britain

Norwegian oil industry engineering group Aker Solutions is to cut around 280 jobs, 11 percent of its U.K. workforce, in its Aberdeen and London offices, the company said on Tueday, blaming poor market conditions.

 

Aker suspended dividend payments in February and warned market conditions would remain challenging as the slump in oil prices has led to reduced spending by oil companies.

 

"Aker Solutions (has begun) a consultation with employee representatives on reducing its UK Subsea workforce capacity because of a continued market slowdown," said a spokesman.

 

Aker has roughly 15,000 permanent employees worldwide, 2,500 of whom are based in Britain.

 

The job cuts are part of Aker's plan to reduce costs by shrinking its workforce by 25 percent compared with mid-2014. Last month, it announced 600 jobs would go in its Norwegian subsea engineering and services division.


(Reporting by Karolin Schaps; Editing by Greg Mahlich)