Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Finland
Region
Åland;
Location of affected unit(s)
Åland
Sector
Transportation / Storage
Land, Water And Air Transportation
Water Transport
50 - Water transport

145 - 280 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
13 February 2006
Employment effect (start)
20 March 2006
Foreseen end date
31 March 2006

Description

On 13 February 2006 the shipping company Birka Line, announced its plans to sell off one of its two cruise liners. At the time it was announced that with the sale of the 21,500 GRT Birka Princess, 250 jobs would be lost, among them 230 of employees working on board. The Birka Princess is to be bought by the Cyprus-based tourism enterprise, Louis Public Company for around US$35 million. The ship will have changed owners by the end of March. Birka Line justified the selling of the vessel by the company's unprofitable operation and the changes that are taking place in the cruise line industry. Birka Line employs a total of 900 workers.

Updating the information on the dismissal procedure, Helsingin Sanomat reported on 21 March 2006, that negotiations with the trade unions were almost been concluded. 145 employees will be dismissed, 122 of whom had received their notice on Monday, 20th of March. In addition to dismissals, the company has offered transfers to other jobs within the shipping company to about 60 employees.

The overall figure of job cuts due to the sale is now given as 280 jobs.


Sources

  • 13 February 2006: Press release by Birka (www.birka.se)
  • 13 February 2006: Hufvudstadsbladet
  • 13 February 2006: Sveriges Radio (www.sr.se)
  • 21 March 2006: Helsingin Sanomat

Citation

Eurofound (2006), Birka Line, Internal restructuring in Finland, factsheet number 62969, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/62969.