Procter & Gamble plans cuts in workforce

Procter & Gamble, the US consumer products group, plans to cut its worldwide workforce, but said it was too early to say whether the redundancies would total 10,000 employees, as has been reported. P&G, which sells well-known brands such as Fairy Liquid, Ariel washing powder and Pampers nappies in the UK, has been looking for cost-cutting opportunities since December, and will begin executing the plan next month.

The company currently employs 5,500 people at manufacturing plants in Manchester, Essex, Newcastle and West Yorkshire, and at three smaller research facilities in Newcastle, Surrey and Middlesex.

Hamish McRae, page 27