Behaviour of confectionary company behind Mint Humbugs, Barratt Sherbert Fountains, Flumps, Bachelors and Kettle Chips ‘morally reprehensible’ says GMB Union. 

Scrooge sweet company Valeo - who make Mint Humbugs, Barratt Sherbert Fountains and Flumps – want workers to go on furlough over Christmas, even though their factories normally close for the festive period. 

The Yorkshire company, also behind Bachelors, Jacobs and Kettle Crisps, has written to workers asking them to sign up to the Job Retention Scheme over the Christmas period and into the New Year – meaning a 20% pay cut for most. 

In normal years, the factories at Pontefract, York and Cleckheaton shut for the festive season with workers getting full holiday pay. 

Lynn Brook, GMB Organiser, said:  “This really is a Christmas humbug. The workers are disgusted.  It’s morally reprehensible that a Scrooge employer who would normally shut down for Christmas and pay people full holiday pay would abuse the Job Retention Scheme and use public money to pay wages.  

“We don’t believe this is about saving jobs, we believe it is about saving money while making the taxpayer pick up the bill and workers take a pay cut.  It’s not in the spirit of the scheme and it is not in the spirit of Christmas.”