Color Line Lays Off 2,000 Employees

Ferry operator Color Line has temporarily laid off nearly 2,000 employs after canceling regular passenger services.

“The measures Color Line has implemented have had major consequences for the company business,” says CEO Trond Kleivdal. The company maintains its cargo services in line with the entry and quarantine rules set out by Nordic countries and Germany. The service is being operated by the ro-ro ship Color Carrier which is operating the route between Oslo and Kiel, and SuperSpeed 2 is sailing between Larvik and Hirtshals.

The Norwegian government has announced the first phase of an economic crisis package to safeguard Norwegian business and industry. It is designed to ensure the operation of companies as well as employees' salaries and rights. People who are laid off are guaranteed full pay for a minimum of 20 days from termination.

The Color Line employees who have been laid off keep all their insurance policies and are still employed by Color Line. “The layoffs could be lifted at short notice, because we have to ensure that the company is ready to accelerate when the authorities again allow passenger traffic between Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany,” said Kleivdal.

Earlier this week, ferry company Stena Line announced 950 job redundancies.