By Tom Polansek

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Tyson Meals Inc (NYSE:) will eradicate about 10% of company jobs and 15% of senior management roles, Chief Govt Donnie King instructed workers on Wednesday.

The layoffs are the newest cost-cutting transfer for the largest U.S. meat firm by gross sales because it grapples with declining earnings and struggles to enhance ends in its iconic hen enterprise.

Discussions with most affected workers are slated to happen this week, King stated in a memo to workers seen by Reuters.

“We are going to drive effectivity by specializing in fewer initiatives with higher depth and eradicating duplication of labor,” King stated.

Tyson had about 6,000 U.S. workers working in company workplaces as of Oct. 1 and 118,000 employees at non-corporate websites similar to meat crops and warehouses, in line with regulatory filings.

The eradicated roles in senior management are principally vice presidents and senior vice presidents, an organization spokesperson stated.

Some company workers already left the corporate after Tyson stated in October it was relocating all company jobs to its headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. Nevertheless, the ten% discount in company roles isn’t associated to the relocation, a Tyson spokesperson stated.

Tyson has shaken up its senior government ranks as properly.

The corporate fired Chris Langholz as president of its worldwide enterprise in August. In September, Tyson stated Noelle O’Mara, who led its ready meals division, had left the corporate. John R. Tyson, great-grandson of the corporate’s founder, took over as finance chief.

John R. Tyson was arrested in November for legal trespassing and public intoxication. The position of finance chief isn’t amongst these being eradicated, a spokesperson stated.

In January, Tyson changed the president of its poultry enterprise after the corporate wrongly predicted demand for hen.

The corporate has struggled for years to enhance ends in its hen unit and stated in March it would shut two U.S. processing crops with virtually 1,700 workers.

Adjusted earnings of 85 cents per share within the quarter ended Dec. 31 had been down 70% from a yr earlier. Tyson is ready to report its subsequent quarterly earnings on Could 8.