​Increasing pay costs prompt National Trust to cut workforce by 6%

This article was first published by Museums Association.

The National Trust has entered a 45-day consultation period with staff to cut 6% of its workforce and make savings of £26m.

The trust said it will need to reduce its 9,500-strong workforce by about 550 jobs in order to offset the impact of recent employers’ National Insurance increase and National Living Wage, which have added more than £10m to its annual wage bill. It is working with Prospect union to “minimise compulsory redundancies”.

“To meet our aims and create a sustainable future for the organisation in a tough financial environment, our first step must be to ensure we are financially strong and properly resourced for the future,” the National Trust said in a statement.

“Although demand and support for our work are growing with yearly increases in visitors and donations, increasing costs are outstripping this growth.”