redundancies

Jessica with her sweet tooth found this story. It points to the increasing challenges facing our food manufacturers. It made me think more widely about the lack of joined up support for those facing redundancy and wishing to live in their local areas and how this is at its least effective when dealing with modest numbers of rural job losses. Job losses, which are personally just as painful as those in big manufacturers, but in a peverse way lack the cache of a Bombradier or BAE Systems –  and which can still have a devasting effect on the viability of some rural communities. This article which  has some rural implications goes on to explain:

Kraft is shedding 200 jobs in itsUK factories as part of an efficiency drive that will affect Cadbury’s historic base at Bournville inBirmingham. TheUS group won control of the British confectioner following an £11.5bn hostile takeover battle in 2009. In March 2010 it was hauled in front of the Commons business select committee to justify its conduct during the bitter takeover battle and pledged to MPs it would not close factories or make compulsory redundancies among UK manufacturing staff for two years. Kraft said the job losses at Bournville, Chirk in Wrexham, northWales, and Marlbrook, Herefordshire, did not break that pledge because they would be achieved by voluntary redundancies and redeployment.

 NB from Jessica: Very sad when the train went through Keynsham last week to see the Cadbury’s site no longer producing chocolate!