Cadbury owner Mondelez has hit back at Etu union, saying it is ''disappointed'' with the union's criticisms of the confectionery giant's promotional road trip following job losses in Dunedin.
Mondelez has launched an initiative in which staff will visit cities across New Zealand offering free ''personalised'' chocolate.
The promotion has drawn the ire of Etu industry co-ordinator Phil Knight, who said yesterday Mondelez's actions left a ''bitter taste''.
A total of 350 people lost their jobs last year after the Cadbury factory in Dunedin closed.
''Kiwis connected with Cadbury and enjoyed the chocolate for 150 years. But that ended for many people when Mondelez closed a profitable business and moved production off-shore.''
Mondelez New Zealand head James Kane said he was ''disappointed'' by Etu's response to the campaign.
The union worked constructively with Mondelez last year to support the factory's workers, he said.
''This marketing campaign is an investment by Mondelez in a number of local New Zealand businesses who will deliver the campaign,'' Mr Kane said.
''We've run product-sampling campaigns for decades, and intend to keep promoting our products to support our thousands of local retail partners up and down the country.''
Mr Knight said he expected people would be ''voting with their wallets'' and buying confectionery from companies which supported the local economy.
However, Mr Kane said Mondelez was still one of New Zealand's biggest employers in the industry, directly employing about 100 people. Another 100 were employed by third-party suppliers.
The road trip is expected to reach Dunedin on June 29.
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Mr Kane, Your Company closed the doors of a profitable entity with 150 years of history in Dunedin, put 350 loyal employees out in the street and destroyed a wonderful tourist attraction, now you've got the cheek to be disappointed??? One would assume that you didn't attain your position within the Mondelez organisation by being stupid but your reaction to Mr Knight's statement is exactly that. What did you expect?
Ever since the shock announcement that Mondelez intended to close it's Dunedin factory this household has ceased to purchase Cadbury's chocolates and I sincerely hope that the rest of New Zealand's population has done the same. You deserted us, just go away.
Ditto what Gypsy said. We don't touch Cadbury products anymore. Shameful corporate greed which has left hundreds of employees and their families with the stress of redundancy just because the profitable company wasn't profitable enough. I hope all of NZ act accordingly and leave your products on the shelf where they belong.