700 jobs to go as Cadbury shuts Curly Wurly plant ... and moves production to Poland

Cadbury, which owns Fry's, is shutting the Somerdale plant at Keynsham near Bristol, with the loss of 500 jobs.

Another 200 will go at the firm's HQ in Bournville, Birmingham, with some production to be transferred to Poland.

The company said changes were needed to achieve "greater supply chain efficiencies", but the announcement was attacked by the Unite union.

National officer Brian Revell said the firm was acting like a "private equity asset stripper."

The company said in a statement that it needed to reduce costs and operate more effectively so it could continue to grow and remain competitive.

There will be a phased closure of the factory at Keynsham from 2009 to 2010, with chocolate production moved to Bournville and a Cadbury site in Poland.

Some chocolate assortment production will move from Bournville to Poland next year, with the loss of 200 jobs between next year and 2010.

Cadbury said it hoped to achieve phased redundancies through voluntary means, adding that it was now entering detailed consultation with workers at both sites.

Cadbury said its Bournville plant will receive an additional £40 million investment to enhance its status as a "centre of excellence" for chocolate production.

Managing director Trevor Bond said: "Cadbury is a great British company which has become an international success.

"In order to continue to compete in the extremely competitive confectionery industry in the future we need to make the right decisions today.

"Whilst the proposed closure of our Keynsham factory will be difficult for those affected, our ongoing commitment to manufacturing in the UK is absolute. Our significant investment in Bournville is a testament to that."

Unite said the land value of the site at Keynsham, known as Somerdale, the old Fry's chocolate factory which has housed confectionery manufacturing since 1919, would raise millions for Cadbury.

"Somerdale is a profitable site, a productive plant and part of Bristol's heritage as well as our manufacturing history," said Mr Revell.

"Now in a move which could realise millions in land value, a key UK manufacturing operation is to be exported to Poland."

Mr Revell accused the company of acting as if it was a private equity asset stripper and said it was "richly ironic" that such a long-established British company was turning its back on Britain.

"We were always told Somerdale was safe because there was no capacity to make its products elsewhere. It seems the truth is that means no capacity in the UK but plenty in Poland.

"Days after Gordon Brown was talking up British jobs, an iconic British company is looking to shed work here.

This is the sort of behaviour we have come to expect from the short-term, quick-strip private equity firm; not Britain's most respected chocolate manufacturer.

"We believe that the fear of being taken over by a private equity company is a factor in this tragic decision. We will support our members in fighting this decision."