Union members at a Glasgow coffin factory are taking further strike action amid an ongoing pay dispute. 

Co-op Funeralcare staff are taking part in industrial action from Wednesday, January 4 until Monday, January 16 which will mark a fourth consecutive week of strikes.

Staff previously took part in strikes over the festive period from December 28 to 30.

Around 50 craft workers have repeatedly rejected a real-term pay cut, and the offer from Co-op stands at around a third of the current broader rate of living cost of 14 per cent.

Glasgow Times:

Meanwhile, Unite says they have found that Cooperative Funeralcare spent over £1 million last year on purchasing coffins from third-party suppliers, and made a profit of £12 million in 2021. 

They say this came at a time when the dispute with their own workforce could have been resolved for a fraction of the cost. 

Sharon Graham, Unite's general secretary, said: “It’s simply disgraceful that the Co-op, an employer that can easily afford to raise pay, would rather waste £1 million on alternative products and see this dispute stretch into its fourth month than pay its workforce fairly.

“Unite’s members are resolute and they continue to show their determination in this fight.

"The Co-op’s management is clearly trying to break its own loyal workforce but Unite will back our members all the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

Glasgow Times:

Willie Thomson, Unite industrial officer, added: “The Co-op’s claims of showing a better way of doing business and being a fairer employer are in the rubbish bin.

"Management are currently forking-out more cash to third-party coffin suppliers rather than allocating a fraction of that money towards solving this bitter dispute. That’s the current state of Co-op values.

“We repeat our call that it’s time for CEO, Shirine Khoury-Haq, to become directly involved if they have any interest in salvaging their reputation.

"The strike action will also continue beyond this week because our members are unbroken and they are determined to fight until they get what they deserve.”

A spokesperson for Co-op said: “We are disappointed to be facing further strike action relating to pay from colleagues in our coffin factory, particularly given our recent pay offer, which represented a significant increase for colleagues. We were disappointed that Unite chose not to even ballot their members on this offer.

“As a major national employer of almost 60,000 colleagues that is facing into high inflation and increased costs, we have worked hard to balance the requests from our 59 employees at the coffin factory with our wider colleague population.

“The colleagues at our coffin factory are highly valued. They have received annual pay increases, and production bonuses.

“Furthermore, this offer has been made at a time where we have had to make some tough decisions in terms of reducing roles across our business. 

"We would encourage our coffin factory colleagues to give our proposals their full consideration and for Unite to ballot their members upon the offer that remains on the table.

“We are able to maintain a strong supply of coffins and can offer full reassurance that the strike has no impact on our ability support to bereaved families.”