Dyson blames Covid-19 as it cuts 900 jobs worldwide

Dyson is to shed 900 jobs in a cost-cutting exercise that will weigh most heavily on UK employees.

Staff were told of the job losses during a live video conference with Dyson’s chief executive Roland Krüger, who blamed the decision on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Krüger addressed UK staff from Singapore after the company moved its headquarters there last year in a shift that attracted criticism given founder Sir James Dyson's prominent support for Britain's economic prospects outside the EU.

While the company is no longer run from the UK, staff were told that the cuts would be felt most keenly in Dyson's British operations, which include its base at Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

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About 600 of Dyson’s 4,000 staff in the UK – roughly 15 per cent of the UK workforce – stand to lose their jobs. Yet of the engineering firm’s 10,000 non-UK employees, only 3 per cent will be affected by the cost-cutting exercise.

A Dyson spokesperson said: “The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated changes in consumer behaviour and therefore requires changes in how we engage with our customers and how we sell our products.”

Sources close to the company pointed out that it had not taken advantage of the furlough scheme nor accepted any public money to retain jobs anywhere in the world. – Guardian