Unilever reduces planned job cuts in Europe, shifts some employees to ice cream unit

Unilever informed that along with shifting jobs the the ice cream unit, the company plans a freeze on hiring, and will allow natural attrition to reduce the number of employees who were impacted by the decision to reduce headcount.

Unilever Plc has struck a deal with the company's European Works Council to trim down an earlier announced headcount reduction, resulting in about 1,500 jobs being saved, along with about 1,000 jobs being shifted to the ice cream unit.

News agency Reuters reported this development earlier on November 15, citing the head of Unilever's European Works Council. Hermann Soggeberg, UEWC Chairman, told Reuters about the deal with Unilever which will result in 1,700 fewer job cuts than initially proposed in Europe.

Unilever also informed that along with shifting jobs the the ice cream unit, the company plans a freeze on hiring, and will allow natural attrition to reduce the number of employees who were impacted by the decision to reduce headcount. "We remain fully on track to deliver the 800 million euros savings from our productivity programme," said a Unilever spokesperson.

In July, Unilever had said that it plans to cut a third of all office roles in Europe by the end of 2025, to revive growth. The job cuts were part of a productivity programme which included as many as 7,500 layoffs.

In March, CEO Hein Schumacher had said that he would hive off the underperforming ice cream unit, and initiate a cost-cutting programme at Unilever to to win back investor confidence and simplify the business after years of underperformance.

The ice cream business' hive off is slated to complete by end of next year, with a separate head office in Amsterdam.