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Co-op tries to bury union
• FRED Boughton gives a rosy view of the retail side of the Co-operative Society (Letters, November 27).
The founding ethos of the movement was co-operation.
But not if you are an employee of its Funeralcare group. Without consultation the century-old agreement recognising the GMB union was torn up in April 2007.
Since when, and despite efforts by the TUC among many others, GMB remains derecognised. The top bosses within the society refuse to budge or heed the calls for a resolution to this.
It is a brave man or woman who takes on the mantle of shop steward, as intimidation and bullying by management happens.
Given the nature of a funeral undertakers’ work, which requires sympathy and tact in daily arrangements, one would expect that the management would show better consideration of the men and women who meet the public daily in their roles of arranger and conductor of funerals. Believe me, employees are not in it to get rich as the wages are modest.
Work people combine into unions to negotiate their pay and work conditions, an ongoing process. When that union is derecognised that process is destroyed. Which will make for problems for the employer, unless resolved.
Mr Boughton suggests that anyone can, for a pound, join the Co-operative Society.
Perhaps the GMB members should enrol and each bring their plight to the attention of other Co-op members.
That ordinary members are not aware of the situation is evident.
Otherwise they would not allow funeral workers to be so badly treated.
SKIP MURPHY
Prince of Wales Road, NW1 |
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