Union to fight Cadbury workers' media ban

E tū says it does not accept a media ban on workers who have lost their jobs at Dunedin’s Cadbury’s chocolate factory.

Workers learned of the proposed job losses yesterday, and Mondelez, which owns the factory, handed out media packs warning workers not to speak to media.

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The media pack also asked workers to use their "best judgement" before posting anything to social media.

Workers were told to go home yesterday on full pay, but they were expected to be back on the job this morning.

Workers are scheduled to meet union officials this afternoon, and E tū Industry Co-ordinator Food, Chas Muir, says the union will be insisting on workers’ right to speak out.

“These hundreds of workers are devastated by the plan to axe their jobs, and they have a right to speak about what has happened to them,” Mr Muir said.

He says there is widespread concern across Dunedin about what has happened and “it is not acceptable to tell people to stay silent''.

“We will be raising this at today’s meeting, and making it clear we will challenge any disciplinary action taken against workers by Mondelez who speak to the media.

“This is a muzzling of distressed people in a community which needs to debate what has happened to its fourth biggest employer.''

However, a Mondelēz International spokesperson this afternoon denied a media ban was in place. 

“There has been no media ban implemented in response to yesterday’s proposal announcement,'' the spokesperson said.

''Our existing media policy that applies to all Mondelēz International employees remains in place. During such a difficult time for our people, it’s important our people don’t feel pressured to respond to media inquiries and many have expressed that they aren’t comfortable being approached by the media.”

Mondelez has not responded to ODT an question asking whether workers would face action if they spoke to the media.

Earlier, the company reiterated that the factory closure was only a proposal at this stage.

If it goes ahead, the company expects to continue running the factory for the first half of 2017 before beginning out-training and replacement support from July.

It would then ramp production down in the final quarter of 2017 before ending it completely by March 2018.

The company would formally give notice to staff between the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year, triggering redundancy provisions.