The calls come following the group’s announcement yesterday that it plans to exit its branded restaurant estate.
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The cuts come as part of a wider strategic overhaul that will see Whitbread move away from brands including Beefeater and Brewers Fayre and focus on a hotel-led model centred on Premier Inn.
Urgent discussions
The union, which represents workers across the business, said it would seek urgent discussions and provide support to affected members, after claiming staff first learned of the redundancies through media reports.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Instead of counterproductive and cruel redundancies to boost coffers, Whitbread should concentrate on treating its workers and its customers decently to build sustainable profits.”
‘Disgraceful’
National officer Colenzo Jarret-Thorpe added: “It is disgraceful that Whitbread employees heard about the job cuts through the media. The company did not even have the decency to let its staff know first.”
Whitbread has said the move will simplify its operating model and improve returns, with its restaurant division facing “material challenge” since the pandemic due to inflation and rising costs, including business rates and national insurance.
The group plans to convert part of its estate into additional hotel rooms, creating around 600 new rooms, while other sites will be sold. It added that the strategy builds on the early success of its integrated restaurant format, which has proved popular with guests.
Whitbread also outlined plans to recycle £1.5bn through property disposals and generate £2bn in free cash flow by FY31, as it accelerates its shift towards becoming a more focused hotel business.
The company said it expects to retain a “significant proportion” of affected staff, with around 15,000 hires made annually across the business, though the proposals remain subject to consultation.
