Trade union Unite has said that workers are having to pay the price for Kraft's takeover of Cadbury with their jobs.

Yesterday Kraft said it would be closing its HQ offices in Britain, costing up to 500 jobs. In addition the U.S. firm said it would be closing two of its manufacturing sites in Switzerland.

Unite claim that Kraft's need to pay of its debts incurred in the £11.5 billion takeover of Cadbury are leading it to cutting workers jobs.

Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for food and drink, said, "It has only been a matter of months since Kraft took over Cadbury but it now looks to be pressing ahead with closures. Just as we feared, the only way for Kraft to pay down its massive debts is to continue with its practice of job losses through site closures and rationalisations.

"Kraft says it will give the Cheltenham workforce a choice to transfer, but when your new place of work is either Uxbridge or Bournville, that is Hobson's choice. Announcements like today's only give workers further concern about Kraft's plans.

"Of course Kraft's commitment that Bournville will become a centre of excellence for chocolate and Banbury for coffee is very welcome news for our members anxious to have their sites underpinned for the future. But workers across Kraft in Europe, including the UK, will be suspicious that promises made to them are being made at the expense of hundreds of other workers' jobs in other countries."