(July 12): Unilever plc is cutting a third of its office staff in Europe, as the consumer goods group pushes ahead with plans to slash 7,500 jobs worldwide.
The Dove soap maker, which employs 128,000 people globally, said in a companywide call that as many as 3,200 roles would be removed in Europe by the end of next year.
The job losses, which will be out of the 10,000 to 11,000 office-based staff in Europe, are part of a productivity programme announced in March.
Chief executive officer Hein Schumacher unveiled a plan to drive growth and boost profits at Unilever and unpick a legacy of over-expansion, missed opportunities and failed M&A. The CEO, who was appointed after activist investor Nelson Peltz took a stake in the company, also wants to separate the conglomerate’s ice cream arm as part of an ambitious proposal to reverse years of lacklustre performance.
A Unilever spokesperson confirmed the details on the number of job cuts in Europe after they were earlier reported by the Financial Times.
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