The threat of over 200 job losses at three Mondelez Ireland (formerly Cadburys) plants amounts to a “dark day for manufacturing in Ireland”, according to SIPTU Organisers. Union representatives will meet with the management of Mondelez Ireland on Monday, 2nd March, following the company’s announcement, on Thursday (26th February) that it intends to implement up to 160 redundancies at its plants in Coolock, county Dublin, and Rathmore, county Kerry. Discussions will also focus on the company’s threat to close its gum base production plant in Tallaght, county Dublin, in early 2016. SIPTU Organiser, Colm Casserly, said: “The announcement that the company is seeking such large-scale redundancies has come as a complete shock to the workforces. Employees at the plants have given sterling service to the company over the years. The bombshell of this announcement when coupled with the news that production is being transferred from the Coolock and Tallaght facilities to Poland has turned shock to anger.” He added: “In discussions with management, SIPTU will be attempting to minimise the number of redundancies to the greatest degree possible.” Many of the threatened job losses are due to the company’s plan to halt production of the Time Out and Pink Snack bars in Dublin gum and to move some operations to Poland. SIPTU Organiser Michelle Quinn said: “Approximately 60 workers face losing their jobs if the Tallaght plant closes. The threatened closure of this plant, along with the announcement that the company is seeking to cut jobs at other plants amounts to a dark day for manufacturing in Ireland. For many years ‘Cadburys’ has been an iconic brand supporting quality Irish jobs and the impact of these job losses will badly effect local communities.”
Threat to ‘Cadburys jobs’ a dark day for manufacturing in Ireland
