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DJ - Cadbury Plant Workers Worried Despite Kraft Pledge -Report

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Hundreds of Cadbury PLC (CBY) workers at a U.K. factory that the new owner Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) promised to keep open face losing their jobs, according to The Times on Tuesday.

The Somerdale plant at Keynsham, near Bristol, will in effect shut down with the loss of 400 jobs, although it may remain open with a skeleton staff, The Times said.

Cadbury had planned to close it this year as it moved more of its confectionery manufacturing to Poland, The Times said. Yet Kraft said in its first approach to Cadbury shareholders in September that it "would be in a position to continue to operate" the factory, the newspaper said. Most of the 400 remaining staff are scheduled to leave between March and June, The Times said.

Kraft, which bought Cadbury for GBP11.4 billion last month, has not yet made any move to retain the workers and it is understood that they will leave as planned, The Times said, without citing specific sources.

Jennie Formby, Unite union national officer, said: "Kraft were being very irresponsible to talk about changes at Somerdale. Some of the workers have had their hopes raised by Kraft management, and if they are going to lose their jobs then that is shameful." Unite will meet Somerdale workers.

The Times quoted a Kraft spokesman as saying: "We need to review with Cadbury management before making a decision. We are sincere in our intent to keep Somerdale."

Newspaper Web site: http://timesonline.co.uk

-Dow Jones Newswires; dennis.baker@dowjones.com



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 08, 2010 21:17 ET (02:17 GMT) Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.