@Risk

Kraft has revised its offer for Cadbury, and the new bid is expected to win the approval of Cadbury’s board, perhaps as early as today, reports The Independent. (See update below.)

If approved, this new deal would end the sometimes bitter bid battle that has persisted for nearly six months. However, trade unions fear that an agreement with Kraft equates with job losses. They say that 7,000 jobs at Cadbury –and as many as 20,000 in the supply chain –are at risk.

Remember, back in September, Kraft made headlines when it announced plans to cut its supplier base in half, a move that analysts estimated would affect over 30,000 companies and save North America’s largest food maker more than $300 million a year. The company said that tighter supply management was needed to consolidate purchases, streamline processes , and simplify the procurement network overall.

Meanwhile, Cadbury decided to pursue supply chain consolidation of its own as it worked to strengthen its financial position.

Update: The BBC has confirmed that Kraft Foods and Cadbury have, indeed, agreed on a $19.5 billion takeover deal.

The image above is from the BBC and shows a protestor breaking a Cadbury chocolate bar after hearing that the company had accepted Kraft’s offer. Many in Britain are upset that the 186-year-old UK icon will lose its independence, sacrifice management control, and put jobs at risk, the BBC reports.

Looks like we all have to stay tuned to learn if all the forecasting about job losses was prophetic or nothing more than angry rhetoric during the bid battle.