Teekay flag-out sparks fear of job cuts

TEEKAY Shipping Norway is set to flag out some or all of its nine Norwegian-registered shuttle tankers, in a move that could cost hundreds of Norwegian ratings jobs. 

Teekay's Navion Scandia.

According to the company, the decision is motivated by a desire to cut costs, and is not specifically linked with the global economic downturn. Details are still being discussed with the workforce and have yet to be made public, a spokesman said. 

Local seafarer unions have been quick to condemn the idea and have appealled to the Norwegian government to intervene. They point out that the Norwegian register restricts operators to using Scandinavian crew, and fear that replacements will inevitably come from low-cost labour supply countries. 

To read the full article written by David Osler on Lloyd’s List, click here.