Stena Line to Make 150 Redundant

Stena Line has announced that it will furlough 600 employees and to make 150 redundant. 

The company said in a statement: “This urgent measure is an unavoidable response to the on-going global COVID-19 crisis that has had a hugely damaging effect on travel and transport across Europe.”

Stena Line has experienced a large decline in travel bookings and freight volumes. “It is estimated that passenger figures will not recover until well into 2021,” said the company. 

The announcement of furlough and redundancies relates to both U.K. and Ireland shored-based and sea-based employees, including those working on vessels on the Irish Sea and North Sea. It follows a reduction of the number of sailings on several routes; several vessels have also been taken out of service.

Everyone on furlough will receive 80 percent of their salaries. Where U.K. and Irish government schemes don’t cover the full amount, the remainder will be paid by the firm.

On March 16, Stena Line announced redundancies that will affect 950 people employed in Scandinavia. A number of these employees have since also been furloughed. Further job losses have subsequently been made in Denmark and the Baltics. The company is evaluating its operations in all regions and does not rule out that there could be further furlough, redundancy or changes to its current sailing schedules or routes.

Stena Line’s Irish Sea and North Sea operations employ 2,500 in the U.K. and Ireland. The company owns three ports: Holyhead, Cairnryan and Fishguard. Holyhead is the second largest RoRo port in the U.K. with 550,000 freight units per annum. 80 percent of Irish exports travel through the three ports, and 17 vessels are deployed permanently around the U.K. across 10 routes.