Thames Water plans to cut 300 jobs after 'challenging year'

Thames Water employs about 8,200 people across its business

Thames Water is set to axe 300 roles after an "extremely challenging year".

The GMB union said it had been told 140 people were at risk of redundancy, including 89 retail roles and 39 digital jobs. The other positions are currently vacant, the water firm said.

The union blamed the company, saying public money had been "drained from the system".

But Thames Water said the plan was necessary, adding it would seek to minimise compulsory redundancies.

Thames Water, which is the main supplier across Berkshire and Oxfordshire, employs about 8,200 people across its business.

It has come under heavy criticism over sewage discharges and supply disruption.

• No cash compensation over summer sewage stench

• Burst pipe leaves residents in Caversham without water

A spokesperson for the UK's largest water company said it had had an "extremely challenging year" and that it needed to make "difficult but necessary decisions".

The company also said the job cuts would not impact front-line workers.

GMB national officer Gary Carter said Thames Water had "danced with the devil and now workers are paying the price".

"In the 40 years since privatisation, we've seen virtually no investment, systematic asset stripping and billions of public money drained from the system to fill already bulging shareholder and fat cat coffers," he said.

"It's abhorrent and systematic of the failed experiment that is water privatisation."

He added the union would try to minimise any compulsory redundancies.

Thames Water has been asked to respond to the union's comments.

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