Steel company Tata Steel has confirmed 1,600 jobs will go at the company’s Dutch operations as part of a plan to slash the European workforce by 3,000. A further 1,000 jobs will go in Britain and the remaining 350 will be spread across the rest of the company’s European workforce.

Tata Steel says some two-thirds of the jobs to go are management and administrative functions.

‘Change creates uncertainty, but we cannot afford to stand still as a company – the world around us is changing fast and we have to adapt,’ Europe CEO Henrik Adam said in a statement.

‘Our strategy is to build a strong and stable European business, capable of making significant investments needed for a successful future.’

News of the company’s plans to slash spending in Europe by €830m first leaked out last month.

The IJmuiden plant has a workforce of some 9,000 and is one of the most modern steel works in Europe. It focuses on making steel for the car and packaging industries.