The loss of up to 550 jobs at the National Trust could pose a risk to the charity’s ability to act as custodian of the country’s cultural, historic and natural heritage, the union which represents workers at the trust said today.
The 130 year old conservation charity—which currently has around 9,500 employees—yesterday began a consultation to reduce staff numbers by around 6% to save costs. The move has been blamed in part on the UK Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s hike in employer’s National Insurance contributions and an increase in the National Living Wage.
Steve Thomas, the deputy general secretary of Prospect union, said: “Our members are custodians of the country’s cultural, historic and natural heritage—cuts of this scale risk losing institutional knowledge and skills which are vital to that mission.”
Despite the cost of living crisis, last year saw visitors to National Trust sites increase by 5% to 25.3m. Thomas said the uncertainty posed by possible job cuts will be particularly hard on staff as they enter their busiest period of the year.
“At a time when Prospect members at the National Trust are hard at work welcoming the public to Britain’s historic venues over the busy summer months, this news will cause huge uncertainty and worry for staff,” he said.
“We understand the cost pressures the Trust is facing but management decisions, as well as external factors, have contributed to the financial situation and once again it is our members who will have to pay the price.”
In a statement the National Trust said the proposed changes are part of a plan to save £26m. “Although demand and support for our work are growing with yearly increases in visitors and donations; increasing costs are outstripping this growth,” the statement said.
“Responding to this situation means making some internal changes to the organisation. Pay is the biggest part of our costs, and the recent employer’s National Insurance increase and National Living Wage rise added more than £10m to our annual wage bill.”
In recent months the charity has undergone other cost saving measures to avoid compulsory redundancies including a recruitment freeze. The statement said: “In the proposed changes we are prioritising the things people told us are important for the new strategy while protecting the things people value most about what we do now.
“This means reaching more people where they live with the nature and culture that helps everyone thrive, while continuing to provide the brilliant experiences visitors and members love at our places.”
The current consultation is due to end in mid-to-late August, with cuts expected to follow in the Autumn.
