This article is more than 1 year old

Unilever cutting tech bods, moving jobs to Bangalore: 800 face axe

Welsh ITers can no longer live off Marmite and Pot Noodle

Unilever is entering into a redundancy consultation process with techies amid plans to relocate the UK tech hub from Ewloe in Wales to its head office in Merseyside and outsource "some" roles to India, although it would not confirm how many. Around 800 staff will face the chop by 2013.

The move is part of a wider cost-cutting plan that involves closing distribution centres in Swansea and Bridgend and the former Sara Lee factory in Slough.

The consumer brand peddler said it is reviewing proposals to transform the Port Sunlight HQ into a manufacturing centre and make it the home of its IT workers.

Around 500 full-time employees and 300 contractors are expected to be made redundant by the end of 2013, the maker of Marmite, PG Tips and Pot Noodles confirmed.

The firm told El Reg the overhaul would "involve relocating some 400 high capability roles from Unilever's Ewloe IT site, 15 miles from Port Sunlight, with a number of other roles moving to Unilever's IT centre in Bangalore."

Amanda Sourry, chairman for the UK and Ireland, said that although the firm was growing well against a tough economic backdrop, "it will always be necessary to make changes which raise our game".

The cost-hacking plan comes despite Unilever's posting revenues of €46.5bn (£37.8bn) in 2011 – representing a rise of 5 per cent – along with an operating profit of €6.4bn (£5.2bn), up 1 per cent. ®

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