New pay deal for Cadbury staff

Cadbury employees have been offered a pay increase of 3.7 per cent by new owners Kraft.

Staff at Cadbury sites in Bournville, Somerdale, Chirk and Marlbrook, Herefordshire, have been told the pay will be backdated to March.

Union Unite is recommending workers accept the deal. Unite convener John Flavin said the pay award reflected the efforts of the workforce. American firm Kraft took over Cadbury six months ago.

Mr Flavin said that before Kraft took over Cadbury, Cadbury was a very profitable company and still would have been so.

"I think the pay award reflects the hard work and efforts of the work force," he said.

Kraft has been criticised by the Takeover Panel, which polices takeover bids in the UK, over its statement during its bid that it would keep open Cadbury's Somerdale factory at Keynsham.

After it had bought Cadbury, Kraft then announced it was shutting the Keynsham plant after all.