Chocolate Factory Meltdown

by LotusFlower | October 29, 2007 at 02:26 am

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The UK city port of Bristol has over two hundred years of chocolate history first with Frys and now Cadbury which currently employs 500 people at its Bristol chocolate plant. Cadbury has announced proposals to close down its Bristol factory with the loss of all 500 jobs. Workers and local politicians are calling for Bristol City Council to formally oppose the closure of the factory. The chocolate giants of both Fry's and Cadbury were founded on Quaker principles with the well being of workers at the heart of their philosophy of manufacture, many now feel that such principles are long gone with closures to make relatively small savings taking preference to loyality to workers and community once at the heart of such Quaker led companies. These cuts form part of a worldwide axing of jobs by Cadbury who have released plans to scythe 7500 jobs worldwide. Many had forcast such moves following on from the Cadbury salmonella factory infection scandal and Cadbury Shweppes' corporate world view that leaves any vestiges of Quaker sensibilities back in history - as the UK band Snow Patrol say in their song Chocolate:

"Goodness knows I saw it coming
Or at least I'll claim I did
But in truth I'm lost for words"

A city councillor and former worker at the Somerdale chocolate factory is backing the campaign to keep Cadbury in Keynsham.

Martin Golding has tabled a motion to Bristol City council calling for the factory to stay open.

More than 500 hundred staff will lose their jobs if the chocolate company presses ahead with plans to relocate some of their manufacturing to Poland.

The motion, to be debated by the council on December 4, asks the leader Helen Holland to make representations to the chief executive officer of Cadbury, Todd Stitzer, and to John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Labour councillor Mr Golding, who represents the Hillfields ward, said: "I was at Somerdale in the summers of 1989, 1990 and 1991.

"It was one of the happiest places I've had the pleasure of working in, with a great social aspect - a real model for the manufacturing industry.

"The decision made by the Cadbury board will have a devastating effect on the loyal workforce, ripping the heart out the local community and ending an association of over 200 years between Cadbury and before it, Fry's, with the city of Bristol.

"It is a shame that the board is blind to this rich history in the search of relatively miniscule savings for their shareholders.

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Cadbury Schweppes PLC has announced the proposed phased closure of its Keynsham chocolate factory in Bristol from 2009 to 2010, a move which will result in 500 job losses.

The confectionery group said the proposals form part of plans to restructure its UK chocolate manufacturing in order to achieve greater supply chain efficiencies.

Cadbury said production from Keynsham will move either to its Bournville factory in Birmingham or its sister factory in Poland, with the Bournville site set to receive an additional 40 mln stg investment.

Cadbury said this investment will 'enhance Bournville's status as a centre of excellence for chocolate production, and enable greater efficiencies within the site's chocolate assortment production'.

It is also proposing that some chocolate assortment production will move from Bournville to Poland in 2008 which, together with an 'ongoing efficiency improvement plan' will result in another 200 job losses in Bournville between 2008 and 2010.

'It is hoped that any phased redundancies can be achieved voluntarily,' Cadbury said.