Thames Water, the largest water supplier in the United Kingdom, is currently mulling over a proposal to cut approximately 300 job positions, with more than half of these roles presently vacant,

according to a spokesperson from the company who spoke to Reuters on Thursday.

The company is striving to recover from a challenging year that saw the specter of nationalization looming at one point. In response, Thames Water has been implementing a series of cost-cutting measures.

Plagued by a considerable debt load of £14 billion (equivalent to $17.07 billion) and facing scrutiny regarding sewage discharges into British rivers and seas, Thames Water narrowly avoided a government bailout in July when investors committed to injecting £750 million into the company.

In an emailed response, the spokesperson noted, "The past year has presented significant challenges for the business, and we remain committed to maintaining stringent financial discipline across the organization to operate within our budget."

The proposed job cuts are anticipated to mainly affect positions within the Retail and Digital departments, with minimal impact on frontline employees. The spokesperson also emphasized the company's intention to minimize compulsory redundancies wherever feasible.

Thames Water has communicated with various labor unions, including GMB, Unite, and Unison, prior to making this announcement. Photo by Jim Linwood, Wikimedia commons.