Royal Boskalis Westminster is bracing itself for a tough 2016, a year which will see the company retire vessels and possibly make redundancies.

The Dutch dredger and offshore vessel owner said a cost reduction programme will be implemented during the coming months.

Equipment will be taken out of service with “associated implications for staffing levels,” the company explained.

Speaking in a post-results conference call, chief executive Peter Berdowski said the number of vessels will be reduced while forced job cuts cannot be ruled out.

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