Morrisons is proposing to cull thousands of management roles across its stores and increase the number of staff working on the shop floor.

The business has said that, under the proposals, many of the new jobs will be on its Market Street counters serving baked goods, meat and fish, and other fresh food.

It is understood that 3,000 managerial roles are to be removed, with 7,000 new staff employed in shop floor roles to boost customer service.

Morrisons said its managers will concentrate on helping ‘frontline colleagues to do their job and run their stores’.

“This proposal means more frontline colleagues improving product availability and helping customers,” said Morrisons retail director David Lepley.

“Whilst there will be a short period of uncertainty for some managers affected by these proposals we will be supporting them through this process and there are jobs available for everybody who wants to continue to work at Morrisons.

“There will also be more roles with greater flexibility that are very attractive to colleagues with families.”

But the plans were branded as ‘devastating news for managers’ by union Usdaw.

“Despite a large number of hourly paid roles being created, they will clearly not be a like-for-like position for the managers impacted,” said Usdaw national officer Joanne McGuinness.

The union added it was giving members of Sata the union’s Supervisory, Administrative and Technical Association that represents managers in Morrison’s - support, advice and representation.