Morrisons to cut 200+ jobs, joins Sainsbury's and Asda in cost-cutting drive

(Sharecast News) - UK Big Four grocer Morrisons has announced that it is cutting more than 200 jobs as part of a cost-cutting exercise as it faces rising costs linked to the changes announced in the Autumn Budget. Following a review of the supermarket chain's people structure, Morrisons said it was removing the roles of regional people manager, store people manager and case specialist.

Employees in these roles are being placed at risk of redundancy, and now face a 45-day consultation process.

According to a Morrisons spokesperson, "The new structure will consist of a number of new central roles to support our supermarkets directly along with central HR support and additional employee relations roles."

Chief executive Rami Baitiéh had warned recently that businesses in the UK were facing an "avalanche of costs" associated with October's budget, which included increases in employer contributions to National Insurance, along with increases in the minimum wage and national living wage.

The news comes just one day after rival retailer Sainsbury's announced more than 3,000 job cuts and the closure of its in-store cafes as it works to save £1bn in annual costs. Asda also unveiled a round of job cuts in November to "remove duplication and simplify structures", though it is unclear how many roles were removed.