Thousands of UK Cadbury workers could find their jobs under threat if the chocolate maker is taken over by US giant Kraft, a union has warned.
Unite claimed 7,000 jobs could be at risk if control of the UK firm shifted to Illinois in the US, and warned that a further 20,000 jobs in the supply chain could be at risk if the hostile bid goes through.
A Kraft spokesman said the claims were “utterly unfounded”, adding that Kraft’s bid for Cadbury would be better for UK jobs than other options, the BBC reported.
However, Unite warned that the firm would be saddled with a “colossal” £22bn of debt if the merger was passed.
Unite spokeswoman Jennie Formby said: “If decisions about Cadbury’s future are transferred from the UK to Northfield, Illinois, it won’t just be workers who lose.
“It will be Cadbury with its history of much-loved products and much-admired philanthropy, along with UK business, that suffer.”
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In a statement, Kraft said: “The comments are utterly unfounded.
“We are confident that our bid is going to be better for British manufacturing jobs than Cadbury remaining independent or being broken up by another company.”
