Cadbury is axing hundreds of jobs at two of its factories, including its historic home at Bournville in Birmingham. Around 200 jobs will go in the West Midlands.
Some production is being moved thousands of miles to Poland. A factory at Keynsham, between Bristol and Bath, is to close with the whole of the 500-strong workforce made redundant.
Chocolate production from Keynsham will move to both the Bournville factory and the sister factory in Poland, with around £40 million being invested in the Midlands operation.
The firm said the investment would enhance Bournville’s status as a centre of excellence and enable greater efficiencies within the site’s chocolate assortment production.
The company said the changes were needed to achieve “greater supply chain efficiencies”, but unions accused the firm of acting like a “private equity asset stripper”.
Cadbury said it hoped to achieve phased redundancies through voluntary means, adding it was now entering detailed consultation with workers.
But the Unite union said : “In a move which could realise millions in land value, a key UK manufacturing operation is to be exported to Poland.”
7 Comments
More jobs disappear to Poland - what will be left in the end?
Can’t say much for the union either; if it’s that angry why didn’t it take action to stop jobs being exported abroad? Wasn’t that part of their task in the past, to prevent workers’ pay being undercut by the import of cheaper labour? It’s a stark future, when the only choice is work-for-less or get-the-sack.
Of course, it’s different for bosses & fat cats, as their level of pay always has to increase, to match supposed global pay-standards; it doesn’t seem to work that way for us worker-ants, though I suppose our dwindling levels of pay and living standards are starting to meet those ‘enjoyed’ abroad.
I will not be buying any Cadburys chocolate that proudly displays Made In Poland on the wrapper and I would urge anyone else to do the same. However to boycott Cadburys in its entirety will only hurt the remaining workers in this country.
Isn’t it about time the Government removed the word ‘Great’ from Great Britain?
Well. I will be making my stand by not buying ANY Cadburys products unless I can see “made in the UK” on the label.
Well said Peter - this country is fast becoming a third class country.
I now live in New Zealand after living for 57years in Cradley Heath and Netherton,and I agree with mandy we have a Cadbry factory in New Zealand but INever by Cadbruy products as it tastes like you know what I think this is a bad move for Cadbruys I will give them 2 years at most in poland.