Things not so sweet at Cadbury Claremont

Things have gone sour at Mondalez International’s Cadbury chocolate factory at Claremont, Tasmania with the company in dispute with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) over better wages and conditions.

AMWU members at at Claremont are continuing a stop-work campaign, with nearly 400 AMWU members taking four hour-long work stoppages each fortnight as they push for raises of five percent over each of the next three years.

The union is also seeking more sick leave, an increased income protection premium for workers and improved job security for casual and temporary workers.

AMWU members rejected Cadbury’s parent company, Mondelez International’s last offer, with more than 80 percent of members voting against the offer.

AMWU Tasmania Secretary John Short said: “AMWU members at Cadbury Claremont are taking protected industrial action to fight for the fair pay rise and conditions we deserve.

“These workers kept Cadbury in business during the COVID lockdowns. They sacrificed their sick leave and put themselves at risk to come into work each day and keep the lights on. Many of these workers have been on casual or temporary contracts for years.”

Short said the offer entailed a real-terms wage cut.

Mondalez has issued no statement on the dispute, but the company has shed jobs on three occasions since 2015.

In 2018, 40 jobs were lost when manual wrapping of its Flake and Twirl bars was replaced by new machinery in a $20 million investment.

Picture: Cadbury/making Easter eggs at Claremont