Tata Steel has announced plans to cut 800 jobs in IJmuiden in an attempt to remain “competitive and profitable in the future”.

The company said on Monday it would lay off around 500 management and support staff, while the equivalent of 300 positions would be shed by cutting outsourced labour and not replacing non-production staff.

“Despite all efforts by Tata Steel to improve its market position and reduce costs, more is needed and the company needs to bring down personnel costs further,” it said in a statement.

CEO Hans van den Berg said that the company would need fewer staff in the long term under its sustainability plan, which includes closing one of its coking plans by 2030.

Tata Steel’s plant has been the focus of demonstrations by environmental activists who have called for it to be closed, while the public health agency RIVM said in a recent report that people living nearby had their life expectancy reduced by 2.5 months on average because of air pollution.

More than 1,400 people have joined a mass claim against the company for the effects of pollution, while the public prosecution service has launched a criminal investigation into allegations that it deliberately polluted the soil, air and surface water.

Tata Steel said it could not rule out compulsory redundancies. Cinto Gross, chair of the works council, told FD.nl: “It is clearly no surprise that things are not going well in the steel trade. But we are not happy with this announcement.”