Great Britain: Cadbury achieves historic voluntary redundancies at its Bournville plant and the remaining employees are willing to take on more flexibility in their jobs

A voluntary redundancy deal at chocolate bar maker Cadbury’s Bourneville plant in Birmingham will see more than 200 workers receive an average pay off of £100,000 each. The size of the pay offs is unprecedented for non-managerial workers and arises from a combination of good terms negotiated by the workers union, Unite, and the long-serving nature of the staff involved. This deal is part of an investment plan aimed at securing the site’s future for the next 20 years and those employees who stay on at the site have also agreed to work more flexibly going forward.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

Investment program. Over the next two years, up to 225 Cadbury employees will take voluntary redundancy, leaving the factory with a severance pay off of between four and six weeks’ salary for every year of service. The redundancy deal is part of a £75m investment programme in the factory, which was announced by owners, Mondelez International, a year ago. The aim of the investment in plant and machinery – along with changes on the part of the workforce – is to make Bournville more ‘competitive’.

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
France: wage increases set to fall in 2026
Despite expectations of higher inflation next year – 1.8% compared with 1.3% in 2025 according to the OFCE, the French observatory of economic cycles – wage increases are set to slow...
18 November 2025
France: Adecco steps up commitment to temporary workers with disabilities
On 9 September, temporary work agency Adecco France and representative trade unions signed a new open-ended agreement to support the recruitment and retention of temporary workers with...
18 November 2025
Germany: report previews draft bill to transpose EU Pay Transparency Directive
On Friday 7 November, Germany’s commission for a 'less bureaucratic implementation' of the EU Pay Transparency Directive — made up of employer and trade union representatives — submitted its...
17 November 2025
South Korea: government tightens sanctions for unpaid wages
A law passed on 22 October 2024 — and effective from 23 October — toughens penalties for employers that fail to pay wages on time. In cases of “manifestly intentional”...
17 November 2025
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
France: Decathlon introduces a ‘duty to respect others’ right to disconnect’
A right-to-disconnect agreement was signed in late September for the French arm of the Decathlon sports retail group. It sets out a "duty to respect others’ right to disconnect" and provides...
14 November 2025
2
Netherlands: ING cites AI as it plans to cut around 950 jobs
Dutch bank ING has informed the employment agency UWV that it may cut around 950 jobs by 31 December 2026. In its notification on 20 October, the lender said the planned reductions stem partly...
30 October 2025
3
United Kingdom largely retained within scope of EWCs despite Brexit, study shows
A study published this month by the Institute for Economic and Social Research, the French trade union research organisation, examined how the involvement of British representatives in European...
4
Romania: collective agreement extended to entire insurance sector
On 3 November, Romania’s National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue approved the extension of the collective labour agreement signed on 23 May by the Confederation of Employers in the...
5
Italy: new collective agreement for managers in tertiary sector
On 5 November, the ManagerItalia union and the employers’ association Confcommercio renewed the collective agreement for managers in Italy’s tertiary, distribution and services...
6
France: Adecco steps up commitment to temporary workers with disabilities
On 9 September, temporary work agency Adecco France and representative trade unions signed a new open-ended agreement to support the recruitment and retention of temporary workers with...
18 November 2025