Kraft confirms plans to close Cadbury's Somerdale factory near Bristol by 2011
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Kraft Foods said on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, it would not reverse a decision by Cadbury Plc to close a manufacturing plant near Bristol because the British firm's plans were too advanced to change them.
Kraft, which is in the final stages of taking over Cadbury after a prolonged bid battle, said it had regrettably decided to accept that the plant would shut by 2011.
"In our recent talks with Cadbury senior management, it became clear that it is unrealistic to reverse the closure programme, despite our original intent to do so," Kraft Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld said in a statement.
"While this is a difficult decision, we have moved quickly to end any further uncertainty."
Kraft said it remained committed to investing in the combined businesses in Britain and said it would continue to support Cadbury's 30 million pound ($46.8 million) investment plans for the Bournville site.
The truth, and we can all see that, is different to what Kraft may have been saying in the beginning and the destruction of Cadbury's has now, for definite, begun. This will mean 400 or so workers will lose the jobs, and production will be moved abroad.
The company had promised, on takeover of Cadbury's, that the factory at Bristol would remain open but has now done a U-turn, and gone back on its word, given to many honest and hard-working people at the factory.
In the same way as when Kraft bought another confectioner in Britain some years ago, promising it would stay with production in Britain and not long after taking over it moved the production to Poland.
How long before, despite Kraft's promises, the Bournville site too will be closed or at least production severely scaled down, and the operations moved abroad? Also, the Fairtrade promise is probably also not worth the paper it is written on. Then again it may just be a verbal statement.
All Kraft was interested, and this does not surprise me one bit, was taking over a good name brand and then moving production to a “cheaper” area where workers can be exploited. Mr. Cadbury would turn in his grave.
We can now, yet again, see that Kraft's word cannot be trusted and it may, definitely, be the time for us, the consumers, to vote with our pocketbooks.
© 2010
