Union leaders have hit out at US food company Kraft for moving with “indecent haste” to cut jobs at Cadbury after it was announced that up to 150 jobs were at risk as a result of the recent £12bn takeover.
The job cuts will mainly affect the head office in Uxbridge, west London, although some jobs in Bournville, Birmingham, may go too.
A Cadbury spokesman told the BBC that the cuts were “as a result of the Kraft acquisition”, which was completed on 2 February, and Cadbury being de-listed from the stock exchange next Monday.
The Unite union, which said a 90-day redundancy consultation started on Monday, described the move as “yet another broken promise from Kraft”.
Unite national officer for food and drink Jennie Formby said: “Kraft is moving with indecent haste to cut jobs. Despite stating that the company would take 45 days to gain a clearer idea of management and staff structures for the combined business, Kraft has swung the axe before that deadline has been passed.
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“It is causing tremendous anxiety among the 6,000-plus workforce at Cadbury, as well as for their colleagues at Kraft’s UK plant. No worker now feels safe.”
Kraft has already faced criticism for going ahead with the closure of the Somerdale factory in Keynsham in 2011, despite an earlier promise to keep it open.
