Cadbury: Jack Dromey "takeover not in the interest of the country"

Unite has said that Ktaft had to "come clean" and state its future intentions for Cadbury's.

Last month, Unite warned Cadbury shareholders that Kraft's debts, estimated to be about £22bn, meant there could be an "irresistible imperative" to cut costs by cutting jobs.

Jack Dromey, deouty general secretary of Unite, said it feared the takeover was neither in the interest of Cadbury workers or the country.

He said workers were fearful they would share the same fate as Terry's of York, which was closed after being bought by Kraft and production moved abroad.

"Kraft cared little for the great history of that plant or for the skills of its workforce so we must seize the opportunity now to ensure that Cadbury and its workforce do not suffer the same fate," he said.

"The government must secure meaningful pledges from Kraft, and police them so that Kraft cannot again walk away from a UK workforce.

"Ministers must make it abundantly clear that closures and mass redundancies will not be accepted by the British government or the British people."

Ms Formby, Unite's national officer for food and drink, said: "Our worry is that it will be the workforce who pays the price - and until Kraft tell us otherwise by making its plans clear, we have to presume we are now in a fight to protect jobs and investment."

Cadbury shareholders will vote on the revised offer from Kraft today.