Cadbury staff may strike

CADBURY workers could take industrial action as the company and union clash over the new redundancy program and enterprise bargaining agreement.

The Mercury has obtained correspondence between the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and workers at the Claremont factory.

In the news bulletin, authorised by state secretary John Short, the plans by the chocolate maker’s parent company Mondelez International to reduce staff numbers by 50 are described as a “disgrace” and “unrealistic, unsustainable and completely unworkable”.

The correspondence also reveals the union is set to investigate the possibility of industrial action relating to the enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations between it and Mondelez.

The Fair Work Commission has given the go-ahead for the Australian Electoral Commission to organise a ballot for members to vote on the potential move.

Mr Short told the Mercury the company’s offer for both the new enterprise bargaining agreement, with negotiations ongoing since December, and the proposed redundancy program were nowhere near good enough.

“It’s a disgraceful offer for hard-working people,” he said.

“[Striking] is an option. It will depend on the vote and we have to go through a process first after the ballot and that can be quite lengthy.”

The Mercury has also obtained the briefing pack sent by Mondelez International to Cadbury workers outlining the proposed redundancy process.

Under the proposed changes, nine frontline leader positions will be made redundant and 12 shift fitter positions will also get the axe.

Workers have been given until September 8 to express interest in a voluntary redundancy, which coincided with Mondelez’s plan to invest $75 million at the factory over the next 18 months on new automation technology.

Mr Short said the time frame was unrealistic, given final decisions were set to be announced on September 18.

Mondelez manufacturing director for chocolate in Australia and New Zealand Jason Bonisoli said it was disappointing that the union had applied to take industrial action.

Mr Bonisoli said the company was committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith.

“We are committed to doing all we can to ensure the sustainability and global competitiveness of the Claremont site, whilst ensuring that our workers continue to receive generous compensation and benefits,” he said.