Belgian telecom operator Proximus will cut 1,200 jobs by 2030 as part of a major strategic overhaul aimed at boosting efficiency through simplification and AI.
The company announced earlier on Friday that roles would disappear in a "controlled and gradual" manner, but without specifying figures. It has now announced that 1,200 positions will go over the coming years.
Around 800 Proximus employees are set to retire in the next few years and will not be replaced. The company will rely on voluntary departures and internal retraining.
While compulsory redundancies are not ruled out, they are expected to account for only a minority of the cuts.
In particular, roles deemed "non-crucial" will not be replaced, representing roughly a third of the total position reduction.
Positions that are difficult to fill on the labour market, such as sales staff and technical specialists, including welders, will be spared.
Proximus, which employs around 13,000 people in Belgium, says the transformation is aimed at "reimagining its way of working" and focusing on efficiency gains through simplification and AI-driven workload reductions. The company insists the restructuring will take place without social disruption.
Chief executive Stijn Bijnens said the group aims to become a "locally rooted digital infrastructure champion" in Belgium by 2030.
For its international division, which recently recorded a €275m impairment, the company has mapped out a plan to return to growth.
The strategy comes despite solid top-line performance. Last year, Proximus reported revenues of more than €6.6bn, up 1.2% year on year. However, net profit fell by 11% to €398m. Bijnens said the results were in line with expectations.
Shareholders will also feel the impact of the reset. The dividend will be cut from €0.60 to €0.30 per share for the 2026 financial year, before gradually increasing to €0.40 in 2027 and €0.50 in 2028.
Earlier this week, rival operator Telenet announced plans to cut around 350 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, over the next two years.
