BT reveals plans to cut up to 55,000 jobs by 2030 as part of workforce overhaul

ITV News' Joel Hills reports on the latest news from BT Group and its cuts

The telecoms giant revealed the cuts alongside its annual results, saying it planned to reduce its "total labour resource", including employees and third-party contractors, from 130,000 to between 75,000 and 90,000.

BT said that once its full fibre broadband and 5G network is rolled out, it will not need as many staff to build and maintain the network.

In the coming years, BT aims to digitise its processes and take advantage of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).

Philip Jansen, BT chief executive, said that by the end of the decade BT "will rely on a much smaller workforce and a significantly reduced cost base".

He added the firm would be working with its union partners throughout the job cuts and would also rely on natural attrition - when an employee leaves the company but is not replaced.

The news follows Vodafone's decision to cut 11,000 jobs globally over the next three years as part of cost-saving measures.

BT, which is the UK's largest broadband and mobile provider, also reported a 12% drop in profits of £1.7 billion for the year to April.

Factors, such as "cost-of-living pressures affecting the premium sports subscription market", had also contributed to the company recording annual losses of £123 million for its pay-TV sport joint venture with Warner Bros Discovery.

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