As part of the market conditions "acceleration" of its 2020 strategy, IHC said it aimed to implement the 1600 layoffs by the end of 2015.

The purge will include 487 permanent positions and the "phase out" of 1127 temporary workers with staff meetings over this news held on Wednesday.

Part of the restructuring also includes plans to halve the number of IHC's slipways in the Netherlands from four to two.

"The acquisition of additional foreign building capacity will be realised sooner than planned," IHC said in relation to this move.

The company employed more than 3200 employees globally at the end of 2014 according to its last annual report, when it was known as IHC Merwede.

IHC produces specialist offshore support vessels and offers a wide variety of marine-based services to the oil and gas scene.