Tata Steel Netherlands revealed on Wednesday that it plans to cut 1,600 jobs, attributing the decision to weak demand in Europe and ongoing global trade tensions.
The company, based in IJmuiden near Amsterdam, stated that the job reductions would primarily affect management and support roles, with the cuts expected to be offset by the removal of duplicated positions and increased automation.
Tata Steel explained that the job losses were necessary due to “challenging demand conditions in Europe,” which are being driven by geopolitical developments, disruptions in trade and supply chains, and rising energy costs.
The announcement quickly drew criticism from FNV, the Netherlands’ largest umbrella union federation, which expressed confusion over Tata’s restructuring plans. In a statement, FNV said, “Even now there are no detailed plans. The only thing created now is chaos.”
This move follows Tata Steel’s announcement in November 2023 that it would eliminate 800 jobs at one of its plants, which employs more than 9,200 people in the Netherlands. However, few jobs were actually cut following that previous announcement.
