Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:49pm GMT
By Tom Bergin
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L) may trim its workforce with a plan to leave vacancies unfilled and to “ruthlessly” review its use of contract staff, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.
The email, sent by a senior executive in Shell’s core exploration and production division, told managers “the world has changed” after crude prices collapsed from over $147/barrel in July to around $40/bbl now.
“Do not fill vacancies … Reconsider how hard to hold on to securing current staff that may be on the fence re. retirement,” Chris Haynes, Vice President Technical, EPT Projects said in the email.
The email was sent on his behalf by the head of human resources for the unit.
Shell declined to comment on the email.
Contract staff, on which Shell, like other oil companies, relies heavily to help operate its facilities, are to be targeted in the cost-cutting drive.
“Ruthlessly review third parties costs … Review necessity of contract staff as contracts expire, renew by exception only.”
The company is also targeting savings on information technology and travel costs. However, Shell, the world’s second-largest non-government-controlled oil company by market value, will continue with its 2009 graduate recruitment plan.
Shell sources said the company did not have targets for large job cuts, but one said there might be some “fine-tuning”.
In recent years senior executives at big oil companies complained of a shortage of experienced staff and went to great lengths to retain employees and even coax staff out of retirement.
The moves follow pledges by Shell to continue investing despite the downturn in crude prices. The company plans to invest $31-32 billion in projects this year, compared with $30 billion last year.
A copy of the email is available on Shell protest site royaldutchshellplc.com to which Shell employees often post comments.
(Editing by Will Waterman)
� Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved.
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
