Ship engine and propeller builder Wärtsilä is scrapping 570 of its 1500 jobs in the Netherlands, according to a statement by trades union De Unie. The cuts will mainly affect the factory in the town of Drunen, but also those in Zwolle and Schiedam.
Wärtsilä, a Finnish company, produces parts for Chinese ships and apparently Beijing wants Wärtsilä to move production to China.
Union representative George Kruithof said the job losses were "a severe blow", pointing out that the shipbuilding market has collapsed. "But China is still booming. And the Chinese are becoming more protectionist. They want parts for Chinese ships to be made in China."
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Wärtsilä thruster assembly hall in Drunen (Photo: Wärtsilä Image Bank)
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