The independent board for the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's said their parent company Unilever Plc, froze the salaries of its directors in July as a way to put pressure on the company as it enters into mediation regarding a dispute over the sale of the company's Israeli business.
As Reuters reported, the company has shown great success with Ben & Jerry's managing to become one of Unilever's top 13 brands that surpassed the $1 billion sales mark last year.
Last year, leadership at Ben & Jerry's said the company did not want to sell its products in the occupied West Bank, citing inconsistencies with the company's values which led to the decision by Unilever to sell that portion of the business.
Anuradha Mittal, a board chairperson, said, "This decision for us to go to court is because of Unilever's (UL) sale without our input, which is a clear violation of the letter and the spirit of our original acquisition agreement with Unilever,"
Mittal said, "If Unilever is willing to so blatantly violate the agreement that has governed the parties' conduct for over two decades, then we believe it won't stop with this issue," Reuters and CNN reported.
"If left unaddressed, Unilever's actions will undermine our social mission and essential integrity of the brand, which threatens our reputation and ultimately our business as a whole," Mittal said.
A hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 8, to address Ben & Jerry's request to block the sale.