Unite pushes Kraft to come clean on guarantees for
Cadbury workers
16 November 2009
Unite the union has today (Monday) written to the Chief
Executive of Kraft, Irene Rosenfeld, to urge the US food giant to
come clean on its plans for Cadbury and its UK workforce.
The union says that Kraft's refusal to engage in dialogue on the
employment consequences of its takeover bid is causing increasing
anxiety among the Cadbury workforce and raising doubts about the
future of the iconic chocolate brand.
In the letter to Irene Rosenfeld, Unite presses for guarantees
that jobs and terms will not be hit, including no site closures and
no compulsory redundancies in UK and Ireland for five years, no
erosion of terms and conditions for five years, no increase in
pension contributions for five years and a commitment that the
company will fund any pension deficit. Such guarantees will provide
assurance that Kraft's intentions towards Cadbury and its workforce
are honourable.
Jennie Formby, Unite national secretary for food and drink, says
it is now time for Kraft to come clean: "Since Kraft first made
their intention clear to mount a hostile bid for Cadbury, there
have been ‘promises’ made to the employees in the UK, including a
suggested reprieve for the Somerdale factory in Keynsham, which is
scheduled to close next year, and to maintain the existing pension
scheme.
"However, despite repeated approaches by Unite, Kraft has
declined to be more specific about what is meant by those promises
and how determined the company is to stand by them. This has left
our members feeling very sceptical about how genuine those
commitments may be.
"There are many people in the UK, and in particular among Unite
members in Cadbury, who are extremely concerned about the takeover
of what is clearly an iconic British company producing some of this
country's best loved products. We need Kraft to do much more to
inspire confidence that has made Cadbury loved nationally, and that
includes its dedicated workforce, will not suffer in this takeover.
But Kraft's repeated refusal to speak to us meaningfully about the
issues that are most important to our members and the British
public lead us to grow increasingly anxious about the company's
intentions.
"Commitments on employment will go some way towards assuring the
workforce and Cadbury's customers that Kraft's bid will not
compromise jobs and the products in any way. Conversely, without
such guarantees, Unite will be forced to conclude that this is
indeed a hostile takeover."
Unite has asked the company to meet with it as soon as possible
to discuss the employment guarantees it is seeking in the immediate
term.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Pauline Doyle on 07976
832 861.
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