Friday, January 22, 2010

Top Tory brands Cadbury's workforce 'whingeing'

Press release from Unite the Union.

Workers from Cadbury's Marlbrook factory in Herefordshire are furious over comments made by Tory MP Bill Wiggin describing the workers who now face a very uncertain future as 'whingeing'.

Bill Wiggin said on BBC Hereford and Worcester: "Who wants to hire a whingeing workforce when you can have a positive upbeat one".

Unite, the union representing the workers, has charged Mr Wiggin with a complete failure to represent his constituents working at Cadbury, who have been told job cuts across the company are inevitable.

Mr Wiggin refused to sign an Early Day Motion calling for Cadbury to stay independent. On 15th January on BBC Hereford and Worcester, Mr Wiggin told listeners that he was not a fan of Unite - the union campaigning to protect his constituent's jobs - and the campaign would not make any difference as he believed Cadbury would not sell and stay independent. How wrong Bill Wiggin was.

On 20th January on the 8am news on BBC Hereford & Worcester, Mr Wiggin decided to again go on air, expressing to listeners that the Cadbury Marlbrook workforce should be more positive about the situation, as the new employer will not take kindly to whingeing.

Unite's national officer Jennie Formby said: "Mr Wiggin is a disgrace to his constituents and has done Cadbury's workers a great disservice. Voters will remember when this MP turned his back on Cadbury's workers in their hour of need.

"Cadbury's workers face an uncertain future, they are campaigning to protect their jobs - it's not whingeing, it's standing up for their livelihoods, homes and their families. This is a classic example of the uncaring Conservatives."

The union's convenor at the factory has written to Mr Wiggin to express the workers' fury.
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Also read: Birmingham Mail- "Tory MP Bill Wiggin calls Cadbury workers 'whingeing'".

1 comment:

Helen Highwater said...

Some arse said the same thing of the Johnny Walker's staff in Kilmarnock when they heard their SCOTCH whisky was going to be made in... the Netherlands or somewhere like that. Certainly not somewhere Scottish.

For the Johnny Walker staff, it's not just their jobs, it's also national identity! And to be honest, Cadbury's is seen by a lot of people, rightly or wrongly, as a British thing.

but it also sucks to have some Tory richboy fail to understand how someone feels when threatened with losing their jobs. And to think these people may well be in power soon.... my gawd....