BT to cut 4,000 jobs in restructuring after 'challenging year'

BT said on Thursday it would cut 4,000 jobs in its global services unit that serves multinationals and scale back its dividend growth ambitions in a drive to recover from an accounting scandal and a profit warning.

The scandal in Italy in January, combined with a profit warning stemming from a slowdown in the work it does for governments, sent BT's shares plunging at the time, wiping 8 billion pounds from the company's value.

The telecoms group described the year as "challenging" as it reported fourth-quarter revenue of 6.12 billion pounds, up 10%, and adjusted earnings of 2.07 billion pounds, up 2% and broadly in line with forecasts.

On an underlying basis excluding transit, revenue was broadly flat for the year, in line with guidance.

BT said the review of Global Services, which will cost it 300 million pounds, would improve its financial performance and the long-term value it delivers to BT.

The jobs cuts would come in managerial and back office areas in a restructuring designed to simplify the business, it said.

Following the accounting scandal, Chief Executive Gavin Patterson and former Group Finance Director Tony Chanmugam will not receive a bonus for the FY17, the company said.

"This has been a challenging year for BT," Patterson said on Thursday.

"We've faced headwinds in the UK public sector and international corporate markets and must learn from what we found in our Italian business."

It paid a final dividend of 10.55 pence, up 10%, but said dividend growth in FY18 would be lower than the 10% it had previously targeted.