UK – Royal Mail to cut 1,600 jobs

Royal Mail is planning to cut 1,600 roles as part of a drive to cut costs, mainly among its head office managerial staff. 

The postal delivery service says the net effect will be 1,300 job losses, as it plans to create 300 new or enhanced roles at the same time.

It says the cuts are part of its aim to make cost savings of £50m a year.

Unite, a union which represents 7,000 Royal Mail managers, warned the cuts could spark industrial action.

Royal Mail – which currently employs about 150,000 people in total – said it would start consultations on the job cuts with both Unite and CWU on Tuesday.

It emphasised that the cuts would have “no impact” on frontline employees including postmen and women.

The company said it expected the job cuts to reduce costs by about £25m in 2014-15.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at BBC News – Royal Mail plans to cut 1,600 jobs.