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By Victory Oghene
The world’s largest food company, Nestle has announced plans to sack about 16,000 workers worldwide over the next two years as part of a sweeping cost-reduction and automation programme.
The Swiss food giant said the decision is aimed at achieving operational efficiency by automating more processes and expanding shared services.
According to the company’s statement, about 12,000 of the layoffs will affect white-collar professionals, while another 4,000 will come from manufacturing and supply chain roles.
Overall, the job reductions represent nearly 6% of Nestlé’s global workforce.
“The world is changing, and Nestlé needs to change faster. This will include making hard but necessary decisions to reduce headcount,” Chief Executive Officer Philipp Navratil said in a statement on Thursday.
The company said automation and digital transformation would allow it to streamline operations, improve productivity, and redirect resources into growth areas.
