Cold-hearted shambles’ – union blasts Welsh Water job cuts
A union has condemned Welsh Water’s plans to cut 500 jobs, describing the move as a “cold-hearted shambles”.
The GMB said the decision will have a “harrowing impact” on workers, customers and company performance.
Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, said: “These job cuts will have a harrowing impact on jobs, customers and company performance.
“Welsh Water have shown a total lack of transparency on why they need to shed 500 jobs. Vague mentions of increased efficiency just don’t cut it.
“Less workers will lead to fatigue, health and safety issues and increased absence for those that remain.
“There has been no union consultation, no business plan and no commitment to non-compulsory redundancies.
“It’s a cold-hearted shambles and GMB calls on Welsh Water to think again.”
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water announced this week that it will cut around 12% of its 4,000-strong workforce as part of an 18–24 month restructuring programme.
The company said the changes will mostly affect back office and managerial posts, with frontline water and wastewater services expected to be protected.
Chief Executive Pete Perry said: “Customers rightly expect us to invest in improving our services and to keep our own costs to a minimum – and that’s exactly what this programme will achieve. Our customers’ expectations have changed significantly in recent years, as have our regulatory requirements, and as a company we need to adapt. With customers’ bills increasing, we have challenged ourselves hard to reduce our own costs to ensure every pound we spend brings benefit to customers and maintains our financial resilience during a challenging period for the sector.
“I fully recognise that this will be an unsettling time for colleagues affected. We have not undertaken changes on this scale for more than a decade, and we will handle the process with care, compassion, and fairness. Wherever possible, we will prioritise voluntary exits, retraining, and redeployment, and we will work closely with our trade unions and provide full support to every colleague impacted.”
Welsh Water said the restructuring aims to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and release more funds for network investment and environmental improvements.
The company pointed to financial pressures across the water sector, including increased infrastructure costs and recent credit rating downgrades.
The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of Welsh Water.
In May, Members of the Senedd criticised the company over rising bills, executive pay and environmental performance, including more than 118,000 sewage discharges in a single year and a £1.3m fine for failing to monitor water quality.
In October 2024, Welsh Water has been ordered to pay a £24.1m underperformance penalty by industry regulator Ofwat.
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