Overview

• The proposal targets at least 6% of the trust’s 11,000-strong workforce, with 550 full-time roles earmarked for redundancy to secure £26 million in savings.
• Frontline positions in cafés, shops and conservation assistants charged with preserving historic buildings are among those at risk.
• A formal 45-day consultation with staff is under way, following a recruitment freeze and other cost-saving measures implemented since March.
• Employer national insurance hikes and a higher minimum wage from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s budget added over £10 million to the charity’s annual wage bill.
• Prospect union leaders warn the cuts will create huge uncertainty for employees and threaten loss of vital institutional expertise.