CEMENT-maker RMC said it plans to axe jobs as part of a shake-up designed to save £50m.

The group said there would be "some job losses" from its global 31,000-strong workforce as it restructures its core UK business and other operations in Europe and the US.

It said it expected the cuts to save more than £40m, with further measures planned, but not yet decided.

RMC said the savings will come from reductions in staff costs and rationalisation of IT systems and infrastructure, mainly during next year.

The group's head of communications, Tim Stokes, said: "There will be some job losses, but we are not indicating which countries they will affect until we have had the opportunity to talk to our employees."

RMC is the world's fourth largest building materials company, with a turnover of more than £5bn in 2001.

In the UK, RMC employs about 6,500 people and has 300 concrete plants and 140 quarries. Its core business includes ready-mixed concrete, building products, aggregates and cement.

RMC plans to improve efficiency by combining its UK concrete and aggregates operations under a structure based on five regions instead of 21 operating companies.