A row over job cuts at Rhodes Food Group’s subsidiary Ma Baker has spilled into the open. Ma Baker founder Wayne Lund alleges that the move was in contravention of the April 2017 sale agreement and Competition Commission conditions for the merger. Lund, who in 1987 established Ma Baker – a producer of pies, pastries and snacking products – said this week that Rhodes had left a number of the company’s former employees in the lurch, but Rhodes CEO Bruce Henderson disagreed. "I was confident that I was leaving my staff in good hands. Ma Baker had not made a … single loss [in] over 30 years of trading," said Lund.
"It became obvious to me, as people were fired on an ongoing basis that Rhodes never intended to honour their commitment to my former staff members, many of whom had over 20 years of service." Rhodes, the brands of which include Bull Brand, Magpies and Bisto, bought the KwaZulu-Natal-based Ma Baker for R212m, in a deal that gave the food producer a bigger footprint in th...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.