Sainsbury’s to cut 3,000 jobs by closing cafés and counters

That is the second wave of main job cuts for Sainsbury’s in simply over a yr. Final February, it introduced 1,500 roles would go.

The grocery store group, which owns Argos and Habitat, will shut down its remaining 61 cafés and, in addition to pizza and patisserie, can even dispense with its scorching meals counters.

As an alternative, it would make “the preferred objects accessible within the aisle”.

Jobs will go from Sainsbury’s head workplace as a part of an replace of its divisions and administration “to drive sooner decision-making and convey prices down”.

A fortnight in the past, Sainsbury’s mentioned it could elevate its common hourly pay by 5% to £12.60. However the wage improve can be launched in two phases “to assist handle a very powerful cost-inflation setting”.

The Unite union mentioned the job cuts had been “a blatant instance of profiteering on the backs of employees”.

Paul Travers, Unite’s officer for meals, mentioned the grocery store must be “ashamed” for reducing jobs whereas making thousands and thousands of kilos in revenue.

However Catherine Shuttleworth, chief govt at retail advertising agency Savvy, mentioned Sainsbury’s cuts are “more likely to be the primary of many” for the retail trade.

“As anticipated, companies to buyers can be reduce as retailers wrestle with the elevated prices of labour because of the Funds,” Ms Shuttleworth mentioned.

“However what’s clear from Sainsbury’s assertion is that retail organisations should make tough selections in any respect ranges of the organisation each in shops and behind the scenes in head workplace too.”