Wolseley axe 84 head office and support jobs

Builders and plumbers merchant group Wolseley UK have announced 84 redundancies across their operations in Leamington Spa and Ripon.

The job cuts are part of the review of the business which saw the creation of three divisions, Lightside, Heavyside and Commercial and Industrial and are among the support services side of the business. Front line sales and branch employees are not affected.

There will be a period of consultation for affected employees.

Rob Marchbank, CEO – Europe & managing director Wolseley UK said: “Given the deterioration in several of our markets, including the UK, we have continued to take action to reduce duplication and make cost savings across our operations.

“The review focused on driving greater emphasis on serving the customer with empowered branches, balanced with the appropriate central support structures which the business can afford.

“I am confident that the changes, along with the recent establishment of our new divisional structure, will ensure we emerge from the current economic challenges equipped to successfully compete in our marketplaces.”