Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Holly Lennon

Glasgow coffin makers to strike at Co-op Funeralcare in row over pay

Workers at a coffin factory in Glasgow are set to take week-long strike action in a dispute over pay.

Unite members at Co-op Funeralcare on Bogmoor Place will be walking out following the rejection of a real-terms pay cut. Around 50 craft workers based at the Co-op's only coffin manufacturing facility in the UK rejected the offer and voted to take strike action.

The union said the offer on the table by the Co-op is less than half that of the current real rate of living cost, which is 12.3 per cent.

Read more: 100 Glasgow students with no water and blocked toilets for 5 days after pipes burst

The strike action will begin October 31 and it will continue each day until November 7 when the action will conclude. The walkout will bring production at the factory to a complete stop.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The Co-op trades on being different to bad employers, it should not be proposing a real-terms pay cut for their Funeralcare workers, especially when they can well afford to pay fairly.

"We will fully support our Co-op members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

Willie Thomson, Unite industrial officer, added: “Co-op Funeralcare have left our members with no option but to take strike action as they have failed to table an acceptable wage offer. We have given negotiations every opportunity to resolve this dispute but the Co-op are failing to recognise the cost of living crisis.

"Unite’s members are sending a clear message by taking strike action that the wage offer is unacceptable, and they are determined to fight for a better wage deal.”

The Co-op defended their position in a statement to the Scottish Daily Express yesterday.

A spokeswoman said: "Our colleagues at our Glasgow coffin factory are a hugely valued part of our Co-op and following ongoing discussions with Unite we are disappointed that we have not been able to reach an agreement about pay.

"In spite of the difficult trading environment, we have offered all of our colleagues at the coffin factory a fair pay increase. We are confident that the combined base pay and production bonus for roles within the Coffin Factory remain highly competitive.

"We would like to provide full reassurance that the strike has no impact on our ability support to bereaved families and we are able to maintain a strong supply of coffins."

READ NEXT -

Family in tears as killer who left Stephen Quigley to die outside Paisley hospital is jailed

Pensioner found dead on Glasgow-bound bus after falling from seat in front of passengers

Emotional Frank McGarvey admits he may never see Celtic fans again after hospital visit

Glasgow family pleads 'please come home, we love you' as search stepped up for missing man

Doctor suspended for a year after attack on Glasgow paramedics

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.