Italian unions to strike against job destruction at Jacob Douwe Egberts (JDE)

IUF affiliates in JDE’s Italian operations will be striking on September 28 to protest the elimination of 57 jobs with the announced closure of JDE’s Andezeno, Italy facility. FLAI-CGIL, FAI-CISL and UILA-UIL have issued a joint call for JDE to enter into immediate negotiations and to reconsider the company’s decision to transfer production and make 57 workers redundant, particularly in an area of Italy that has been hit hard by unemployment.

JDE was formed through the 2015 merger of DE Master Blenders and the Mondelez coffee brands following their spinoff.  JDE is now the world’s second largest global coffee company, with brands including Jacobs, Tassimo, Moccona, Senseo, L’OR, Douwe Egberts, Kenco, Pilão and Gevalia. JDE’s parent company, JAB Holding registered in Luxembourg, is a private investment fund which has used debt-financed acquisitions to rapidly build a substantial presence in coffee, soft drinks and juices (Dr. Pepper Snapple) and even home care and personal products. Workers are paying the price of this debt binge through continuous restructuring, plant closures and job destruction.