Pilkington cuts 1,500 more jobs

GLASS MAKER Pilkington is to cut a further 1,500 jobs globally by 2000 as part of its long-term restructuring. Pilkington, which has shed 7,500 staff since Paolo Scaroni took the helm in 1997, aims to employ fewer than 30,000 by 31 March 2000: 10 years ago it employed over 60,000 people.

Mr Scaroni foresaw no sales growth for the next 12 to 18 months and said cost-cutting was the only way to improve profits. The extra redundancies will generate savings of pounds 40m a year. When complete, the restructuring will reduce overheads from more than pounds 800m to below pounds 600m.

Most losses will fall in the US and Latin America, but about 100 will go in the UK. Pilkington's share price has fallen from a high of 151p in May to 66.5p yesterday, up 3p on the day.