Marks & Spencer set to axe 500 jobs at head office in London
Marks & Spencer is set to axe around 500 jobs at its head office in London.
The cull of around 15 per cent of roles is expected to be announced next Thursday.
Sky News first reported that more than half of the cuts will affect contractors.
Read more: M&S pay row: New offer for workers – but campaigners say it isn't enough
An M&S spokesperson said:
We said at our preliminary results in May that organisation was an area of the business that needed further consideration and that we would update on this in the autumn. We would never comment on rumour and speculation and have nothing further to add.
News of the cuts has emerged one day after the retailer said it had finished consulting with staff over pay.
The retailer said that after a "thorough consultation" with its national employee representative group, it was offering a pay rise to customer assistants, section coordinators and section managers, while premium payments will be simplified. This was after workers hand-delivered a petition to its Oxford Street flagship store on Thursday.
But, the retailer said it was pushing ahead with changes to its defined benefit pension scheme, although it is extending the cash supplement support for affected staff from two to three years.
Read more: Petition protesting M&S' pay changes delivered to retailer's flagship store
M&S became embroiled in the dispute with workers back in July when it began consulting on new pay plans. These included a 15 per cent rise in basic pay for 62,000 staff – but axing premium pay for those who work on Sundays, bank holidays and anti-social hours.
It also unveiled plans to reduce pension contributions, which are expected to affect 11,000 employees.
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