AT LEAST 30 managers at Network Rail in York were today being told they would lose their jobs by Christmas.
A Network Rail spokeswoman confirmed 59 regional jobs at the ailing train company would be lost as part of national cuts, taking in an estimated 630 senior and middle management posts across the UK operation.
She confirmed some York business meetings had been cancelled today so bosses knew where staff were when they broke the news of redundancies.
The Evening Press understands at least 30 York jobs will be affected.
John Munday, of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said the way the cuts were handled - with staff point-scored to cut the management workforce by 15 per cent - had damaged morale.
He said: "The staff remaining will be looking over their shoulders wondering if they can trust Network Rail again."
Network Rail today said a series of "face-to-face meetings" was taking place to "personally inform" workers.
It said full redundancy packages had been negotiated.
The company said the move formed part of a programme to reduce staffing numbers by 2,000 over three years. It said this would help the company achieve savings of £1.3 billion by 2006/7.
Updated: 10:46 Thursday, November 13, 2003
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