Unilever is rumored to be considering the closure of three of its eight German factories as part of a wider reorganization of the business, according to a report published by Reuters.

German Union NGG is claiming that up to 1,000 jobs are at risk under the plans and that German staff had been called into a meeting yesterday, but a spokesperson for Unilever dismissed the claims as ‘total speculation’.

Having fought off an unsolicited takeover bid from Kraft back in February, Unilever announced a radical cost-cutting program, which will likely see it shed part of its food business to concentrate on personal care.