Plans to close Cheltenham office show Kraft workers paying price
for Cadbury
10th May 2010
Unite the union has today (Monday) warned that plans announced
by Kraft to close sites in the UK and on the continent signal that
workers are to pay the price for the company's hostile purchase of
Cadbury earlier this year.
Kraft said today that it is to close its Cheltenham office and
that it is to also shut two Swiss manufacturing sites.
According to Unite the moves show the pressure the food giant is
under to pay off the enormous bill it ran up to buy
Cadbury.
Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for food and drink,
commented: "It has only been a matter of months since Kraft took
over Cadbury but it now looks to be pressing ahead with closures.
Just as we feared, the only way for Kraft to pay down its massive
debts is to continue with its practice of job losses through site
closures and rationalisations.
"Kraft says it will give the Cheltenham workforce a choice to
transfer, but when your new place of work is either Uxbridge or
Bournville, that is Hobson's choice. Announcements like today's
only give workers further concern about Kraft's plans.
"Of course Kraft's commitment that Bournville will become a
centre of excellence for chocolate and Banbury for coffee is very
welcome news for our members anxious to have their sites
underpinned for the future. But workers across Kraft in
Europe, including the UK, will be suspicious that promises made to
them are being made at the expense of hundreds of other workers’
jobs in other countries."
ENDS
For further information please contact Pauline Doyle on 07976
832 861
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