Enbridge cuts 6pc of staff after Spectra merger

Canadian midstream company Enbridge is cutting 6pc of its workforce or 1,000 people after buying Spectra Energy.

The workforce reductions, which go into effect today and tomorrow, are a "difficult but necessary step to address the overlap in the combined company's organizational structure," Enbridge said.

The eliminated positions are in the US and Canada and are mostly support services staff and not employees in the field.

Enbridge in October cut 530 jobs or 5pc of its workforce after an organizational review. Those cuts include 370 employees in Canada and about 160 in the US.

The $28bn deal to buy Spectra, which closed last month, created one of the largest midstream companies in North America, with a massive natural gas system in the eastern half of the US and a dominant position in moving Canadian crude.

Enbridge said the job cuts are "only one component of the synergies we expect to achieve over the coming months as we fully integrate our companies."