More than 16,000 workers face job axe

The biggest cuts are set to hit a Cadbury factory in Somerdale, Somerset, which union leaders said was about to close with the loss of 400 jobs despite hopes that new owners Kraft would save it.

Car giant Vauxhall said it would shed 154 administrative jobs in the UK on top of previously- announced cuts of 369 at its Luton factory which builds vans.

Welsh Water, which provides water and sanitation to 1.2 million households in Wales and parts of England, said it will axe 300 jobs during the next five years to reduce costs.

Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline plans to cut up to a third of jobs at its UK research and development site in Harlow, Essex, raising the threat of up to 380 job losses.

The union Unite said it believed auditors were planning to announce moves to mothball the Cadbury plant in the next few days.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson met Kraft chief executive Irene Rosenfeld after its takeover of the chocolate-maker was sealed last week but failed to win a specific commitment on jobs.

Cadbury announced in 2007 that it planned to close Somerdale and transfer work to Poland with the loss of 500 jobs.

Around 100 workers have been made redundant but Kraft's ownership had offered hope that the remaining jobs could be saved.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "These job losses show the economy is still on the knife edge. City bonuses may be back and the economy is technically growing once again, but the downturn is far from over."