JOBS AT RISK IN SHAKE-UP

UNILEVER will announce a ‘major initiative’ to streamline the business this month – raising fears over jobs.

Chief executive Alan Jope said he will scrap the company’s clunky operating model and make it more ‘simple’ and ‘agile’ to boost growth.

He did not rule out job losses when asked about the restructuring, saying only that the changes were ‘focused on growth, not cost’.

An analyst said the changes would be an opportunity to ‘reduce headcount’ but would ‘not necessarily’ mean staff would be cut.

The analyst said: ‘The idea is for them to be more agile and more relevant to local consumers and trends.’

Jope said: ‘This is not driven by cost. We are going to announce later this month a simple model, which is designed for speed and agility.’

The consumer giant has 149,000 staff worldwide.