Actor calls for Cadbury boycott
Kiwi actor Sam Neill has come out in support of Cadbury factory workers, asking people to never buy or sell Cadbury products again.
In a Twitter post, Neill asked all New Zealanders and Australians to ‘‘NEVER sell or buy anything Cadbury EVER again’’ if Cadbury’s owner, United States food giant Mondelez International, follows through with the closure of its Dunedin factory.
Neill also tweeted that Dunedin was his home town and closing the Cadbury factory would end up ‘‘ripping the guts out of a community and its history’’.
The iconic factory has been a landmark in New Zealand since opening as a biscuit factory in 1838. The announcement has come as a shock to many New Zealanders, especially the 350 workers whose jobs are on the line.
In a bid to stop Mondelez from shutting down the factory, Kiwis have started social media campaigns calling on people to boycott the corporation’s products, which range from Kraft peanut butter to Moccona coffee.
A ‘‘Boycott Cadbury NZ’’ Facebook page was set up in the wake of the announcement and has been liked almost 1000 times.
A Change.org petition, ‘‘Cadbury reconsider closure of your Dunedin factory’’, was started on Saturday and has almost 1000 signatures.
Social media is also rife with comments from the public slamming Cadbury products.
Facebook user Viviana Gage wrote: ‘‘I went to newworld today, and as I walked pass the chocolates, I imagine myself pulling off the shelves every single cadbury bar, and stomping on it as they lied on the floor … [sic].’’
Another Facebook user, Darryn Turner, wrote: ‘‘I love Cadbury but yeah it’s for a good cause that we don’t purchase.’’
The boycott isn’t likely to be more than a drop in the ocean for Mondelez, which announced the closure as part of a $4 billion international cost-cutting drive.