Bell cutting nearly 700 jobs amid ongoing ‘organizational changes’

Bell Canada’s parent company is slashing nearly 700 jobs as part of organizational changes that began last year.

BCE Inc. says the cuts affect around one per cent of its total workforce, or 690 positions, which includes approximately 230 unionized roles.

The company says most eligible unionized employees are being offered voluntary separation packages.

The move reflects several changes, including Bell’s migration of customers “to a more resilient, easier-to-maintain fibre network,” along with its goal of finding ongoing operating efficiencies.

Last November, in a separate round of job cuts, BCE let go of 650 manager positions at Bell and around 40 other jobs at its Bell Media subsidiary.

At its investor day in October, BCE announced a goal to find $1.5 billion in total cost savings by 2028 through a “companywide transformation and continued focus on operational efficiencies.”