Enbridge says it's cutting five per cent of its workforce — about 500 people and 100 unfilled positions — in Canada and the United States.

The reductions are being made across the company, said a statement issued by Graham White, Enbridge's manager of business communications.

"While Enbridge is more resilient to commodity price downturns than others, we're not immune," White said in the statement.

"We're taking these actions to remain competitive, ensure we can continue to serve our stakeholders well and to further strengthen our foundation for the future."

The Calgary-based pipeline giant said the cuts are not connected to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's call on Friday for a moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic for B.C.'s North Coast.

Trudeau outlined the directive in a mandate letter to Transport Minister Marc Garneau. The prime minister asked Garneau to formalize the agreement with three other ministries: Fisheries; Natural Resources; and Environment.

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The move sparked questions about what effect a moratorium would have on Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry bitumen from Alberta to Kitimat, B.C. The project was approved in June 2014 with 209 conditions.

"Reductions are from all across the enterprise both in Canada and the U.S., and have nothing whatsoever to do with the government announcement on Friday regarding tanker bans," Enbridge said in Monday's statement.

"All decisions were made prior to that announcement and Northern Gateway was not impacted by the reductions."

Enbridge said "disciplined cost management" is central to its business model, adding that although the cuts are necessary, the "company is on very strong financial and strategic footing" and "will continue to grow."