The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Manufacturing Manufacture Of Food And Beverage Manufacture Of Food Products 10.82 - Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery
New offshoring locations
Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia
99 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
21 June 2011
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date
Description
Kraft Foods, the food and beverage corporation, announced a restructuring plan for their site in Hal involving the dismissal of 99 employees. On 20th June 2011, the head management of Kraft Foods declared that they want to relocate part of their production to their facilities in Eastern European countries, namely Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia.
Management explained that the production of its non core products will be transferred to these countries while the chocolate production will remain in Hal. The board will try to use different options such as early retirement, voluntary departure or outplacement to limit the direct impact on employment. The delocalisation will however affect 99 out of 418 workers at the Hal production site and is expected to be finished by 2013. The social dialogue between management and Unions had not yet started and Unions decided to strike for 48 hours after the short notice of the board.
Apart from the factory in Hal, Kraft Belgium holds a biscuit factory in Herentals, a cheese and snack factory in Rhisnes and an administrative department in Mechelen. Taken together, these sites employ about 3,000 people.
Sources
21 June 2011: Le Soir
21 June 2011: L'Echo
Citation
Eurofound (2011), Kraft Foods, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Belgium, factsheet number 72093, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/72093.
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