Mondelez strikes union deal to retain most UK Cadbury workers
The company had proposed to cut 200 jobs across its Bournville (Birmingham), Chirk (North Wales) and Marlbrook (Herefordshire) sites soon after Cadbury was taken over by snack-spin off Mondelez’s former parent Kraft Foods.
171 jobs will now be retained after around 1,200 workers across the sites voted in a Union ballot, according to figures from a Unite official quoted in the Birmingham Mail.
The workers settled on a 3% pay rise for this year and a further rise to a maximum of 3% for next year. 29 staff will still be axed.
Mondelez CEO Irene Rosenfeld also recently enjoyed a pay rise in 2012. Her 31% pay hike took her total annual compensation to $28.8m, according to a company filing earlier this year.
Mondelez response
Mondelez spokesperson Tony Bilsborough said that the firm was not commenting on the numbers but welcomed the pay agreement
“We’ve always said that, in order to remain successful, our factories need to remain competitive but we also said we would achieve any changes by working closely with our employees and their representatives to minimize any impact.
“We remain committed to those close working relationships as we look to the future.”
Mondelez investments
Kraft had stirred controversy soon after it snapped up the British-owned confectioner Cadbury by announcing a cull on 200 jobs across the three plants while also announcing £50m ($77m) of investment including a new biscuit line at its Sheffield plant, a £13.5m ($21m) investment at Bournville, £3.4m ($5.2m) at Chirk and £2.6m ($4m)at Marlbrook.
