SYDNEY, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Australia's most popular chocolate brand, Cadbury, told 40 of it's workers on Thursday evening that they would no longer have a job at the company's factory in Claremont, in the State of Tasmania.
Cadbury's U.S. parent company said they plan to purchase 14.5 million U.S. dollars worth of machinery to wrap Flake and Twirl bars, meaning the workers who had previously done the job manually would no longer be needed.
The latest announcement is the third round of such cuts since 2015, with 170 jobs lost from the factory in that time, which company leadership have attributed to a more internationally competitive market.
The factory's remoteness, being on Australia's southern island state, has also contributed to the cuts, with the rising costs of freight along with low domestic growth creating pressure for the operation.
First opened in 1922, the Cadbury factory has been a crucial part of the Claremont community, providing jobs and opportunities for hundreds of locals throughout its history.
Local independent Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie, told the national broadcaster that the cuts would have a real human toll.
"It's especially disappointing when Cadbury have promised so much," Wilkie said.
"Yes, the factory survives while other factories in other countries have closed, and yes they are investing in more plant and we can get a little bit of comfort out of that, but really it's promised so much more."
