Britain weighs in on Kraft, Cadbury deal

After five months of acrimonious wrangling, Cadbury Tuesday accepted a purchase proposal valued at about $19.1 billion.

Brown said, "we are determined, of course, that at a time when people are worried about their jobs, that jobs in Cadbury can be secure."

Business Secretary Peter Mandleson was blunt about his opposition to the deal. "If you think that you can come here and make a fast buck you will find that you face huge opposition from the local population … and from the British government," he said.

The trade union Unite warned the deal is likely to lead to 10,000 jobs cut as Kraft streamlines the operations, The Times of London Online reported.

Calling it a "very sad day" for British business, Unite national officer for food and beverages Jennie Formby warned the Kraft would have to cut jobs to pay for the deal, especially as Cadbury held off for months until another $2 billion was added to the original offer.

Cadbury currently employs 45,000, with about 9,000 of those jobs in Britain, The Times said.

Copyright 2010 by United Press International.