South West Trains has announced plans to cut almost 500 managerial and administrative jobs.
In a statement, the rail operator said: “Subject to consultation with staff, our plans will involve a reduction of around 480 management, administration and other roles across the company. Train drivers, guards and frontline fleet maintenance staff are not affected by these proposed changes.
“Taking into account existing vacancies and posts which have been withdrawn, this will mean the actual number of people leaving the company will be around 200. We hope to achieve some of this through natural turnover or voluntary redundancy. However, we cannot rule out compulsory redundancies.”
The RMT Union pledged to fight any compulsory cuts among its members.
General secretary Bob Crow said: “There is no way that SWT can cut these jobs without affecting the quality of service that passengers receive and putting a greater burden on the workforce that remains.
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“These cuts represent a kick in the teeth to rail workers and passengers alike and RMT will resist compulsory redundancies with every means at its disposal.”
For the latest news on which firms are cutting jobs, visit Personnel Today’s redundancy tracker.
