Anger over Cadbury factory closure u-turn

The US firm said it was "unrealistic" to reverse Cadbury's plans to shut the site at Somerdale near Bristol and announced that the factory would close by 2011.

Kraft, whose five-month battle for control of the confectioner was only sealed last week, was accused of "deliberately misleading" workers by saying it would keep the site open.

Jennie Formby, Unite's national officer, said Kraft's "thirst for public approval" during the takeover led the company to ignore warnings that the timeline for the closure was already "set in stone".

Ms Formby will meet workers at the factory today and will step up attacks on the company.

"Kraft have ignored repeated requests for meetings and discussions over the future, and even as senior management were on site in Somerdale preparing to make their statement to our members, a Kraft director was assuring Unite that they had not made any decision yet but we would be the first to know.

"This sends the worst possible message to the 6,000 other Cadbury workers in the UK and Ireland. It tells them that Kraft care little for their workers and have contempt for the trade union that represents them."

The Somerdale plant, which makes Crunchie and Curly Wurly bars, will now close by the end of the year.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said he was disappointed with Kraft's decision.

"This will confirm the fears of those who felt the takeover would result in job losses," he said.

"Kraft gave me no indication of this announcement when we met last week.

"It is for the company now to prove the worth of their other statements about investing in the UK."

Kraft said last night Cadbury had already spent 100m building new facilities in Poland and most production would be transferred from Somerdale by the middle of this year.

The US firm pledged last week to keep the Somerdale factory open but chief executive Irene Rosenfeld said: "In our recent talks with Cadbury senior management, it became clear that it is unrealistic to reverse the closure programme, despite our original intent to do so."