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Asked about reports that up to 30pc of staff could be laid off, Elizabeth Warren, who has joined as the lobbying group’s new interim chief people officer, told members: “We’re looking at every single way that we possibly can to avoid redundancies.
“But I have to say, the more of you that return, the less that we’ll need that. And I think the final decision will really be based on this EGM [extraordinary general meeting]. The more votes we get, the more return to membership, the less we’ll need to rely on that process.”
The Telegraph understands that the CBI’s plan to cut its wage bill by a third will continue after the vote.
The CBI said 371 votes were cast in total on Tuesday, with 23 official abstentions, but it failed to reveal how many members were eligible to participate in the ballot.
The failure to disclose the true proportion of member support comes despite Ms Newton-Smith saying earlier in the day that the group needed to prove to members that it was a “transparent” and “democratic” body.
Mr McBride also pledged to rebuild the CBI as a “transparent, responsive organisation”.
Despite members supporting the CBI’s plans to overhaul the group, there remain questions over its future, with many of its biggest members having quit, while ministers have frozen it out.
Earlier this week, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) launched a new business council to rival the CBI.
A Government spokesman said: “While this is a matter for the CBI and its internal processes, we will continue to engage with businesses on a case-by-case basis and business groups where appropriate.
“The CBI is responsible for rebuilding the trust and confidence of their membership and that remains a matter for them.”
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