Jun.04--Layoffs are part of restructuring intended to improve efficiency
    Maersk Line said it is cutting about 400 jobs at its central management organization as part of a restructuring aimed at speeding up and simplifying decision-making.
    There will be about 250 layoffs at the carrier’s Copenhagen headquarters, with the remainder of cuts in London; Singapore; Mumbai and Pune, India; and Manila.
    Execution and service tasks currently carried out by Maersk’s global “Centre” organization will be moved closer to its country offices as well as its shared service centres.
    The Centre currently employs 2,200 of the carrier’s 25,000-strong worldwide payroll.
    “We want to build a successful business that constantly delivers acceptable returns to its shareholders. This requires that we challenge ourselves to have as efficient an organization as possible,” said Maersk Line CEO Soren Skou.
    The new Centre organization will be presented on June 12 and will be initiated immediately.
    Maersk Line swung to a $599 million operating loss in the first quarter from a $424 million profit in the previous year.

(Source:JOC)