SHIPPING giant Hapag Lloyd yesterday said 60 jobs in Liverpool are under threat as part of a huge cost-cutting drive.
The company is looking at outsourcing its UK documentation operations to India as it has done in other parts of its worldwide operations.
Only last year, Hapag restructured its Liverpool offices and moved to the Port of Liverpool Building at a cost of £300,000.
It has also suspended its Liverpool-Montreal round trip container service.
A drastic downturn in the shipping market has forced a major restructuring of the business, in an effort to make £250m in savings this year.
Mersey Docks recently revealed a huge 25% downturn in container volume and said it was reviewing costs and resources.
A Hapag Lloyd spokesman declined to comment on specific locations but said outsourcing was one option.
He said: "We are planning a restructuring of our organisation, and are therefore in talks with employee representatives in various European countries including the UK. Before we have finalised these discussions, we regret that we are not in a position to give a more detailed statement."
The container carrier has been under pressure to cut costs since former parent TUI recently sold a majority stake in Hapag-Lloyd to the Hamburg-based Albert Ballin consortium, even though the line's chief executive, Michael Behrendt, said all jobs were safe.
Now there is a recruitment freeze and container charter contracts are being renegotiated.
Hapag-Lloyd has 128 container ships in operation, of which it owns 60.
Although the company has also suspended its Liverpool to Montreal container service, Hapag says the port will be included in a revamped service for the North American seaboard which will include stops at Southampton and Le Havre.
Meanwhile, another shipping line that has recently enlarged its Liverpool back office operations has announced more cuts – but the city is not thought to be in the firing line.
Maersk Line will cut costs by an additional £750m this year.
Shipping lines and ports around the world have suffered as a result of the credit crunch and consequent huge decline in international trade, with a number of vessels laid up in dock.
