Residents of Tollcross respond when confirmed plans to close Glasgow McVitie plant – Germany News

The factory, which opened in 1925, employed generations of families in the East End, providing secure, trade union, and well-paid jobs.

READ MORE: Politicians in Glasgow, including David Linden and Thomas Kerr, react when plagiarism confirms factory closure

Workers found out on Tuesday night that they were going to lose their jobs after Pladis, which owns the factory, rejected rescue plans from the unions GMB and Unite along with the Scottish Government.

Paul Smith, who has worked at McVities for almost 15 years, said it feels like the last nail in the coffin. He said: ‘It’s just awful. We expected it, I think we were all like that. They are just going to keep moving the goal posts. I think they have already decided.

“We went through the pandemic for them. This is the end of the era. ”

Paul thanks members of the public for their support over the past three months.

He added: ‘We had the people behind us. It’s a sad, sad day. The factory is a big old lady. I’m just tired, I’m busy with it everywhere. It was the kind of nail in the coffin. ”

Paul was also involved in the grassroots campaign to save jobs at the factory, called “Save Our Jobs McVities Tollcross”, which launched a petition that attracted nearly 80,000 signatures and a few days’ performance in the Forge Mall as well. as led outside Marks and Spencer. Argyle Street.

READ MORE: pladis pushes ahead with closure of factory in Glasgow McVitie

Now the factory will close, the locals are worried that there will be fewer jobs in the area. Bridget McGuire said the closure was “outrageous”. She added: ‘This area has suffered a lot with job losses and things like that, so I think it’s a big loss for the area.

“I think everything must be done to try to save it, to be honest. People are suffering enough now without also losing their jobs. How are they going to get another job?”

Gavin McLeish, a resident of Tollcross

Gavin McLeish lives near the factory and has family members working at McVitie’s who will be unemployed. He said: ‘I have family members who work there and. My stepbrother works there and it’s him, it’s his last job.

“He’s retiring next year. His son works there too, and it’s the two of them without a job. It’s affecting people you know.

‘I noticed that there are a lot of agency workers now.

‘It would always come, but hopefully someone will accept it. When you look at local producers, they struggle for space.

“From our point of view, it’s sad because it’s been there so long.

Gavin said he would miss the smell of the cookies being baked, which could smell over Tollcross. He added: ‘They used to make a coconut lime and you could smell the smell of the coconut blowing through your house.

Douglas Gallagher of Balornock said: ‘I think it’s ridiculous how many people work there.

Douglas Gallacher of Balornock

‘This is one of the biggest jobs in the area, so why are they changing everything? They let it run down a bit.

‘The poor guys who worked there for 25-30 years. Where are they going to get another job? ”

Margaret Stevenson, who lives locally, said she would boycott the business. She said: ‘We have lost so many other places that are big employers, like Debenhams and everything that has been closed.

“We sell everything to other countries, we have nothing of our own.

‘I’ll never buy a McVitie cookie again, and I’ve heard other people say that too.

The move also drew widespread political condemnation as representatives of Labor, the SNP and the Tories encountered the confirmed closure.

Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar called the news “devastating”. He said: ‘This is devastating news, which will be felt seriously by both the staff of the factory and the wider community.

‘McVities workers were let down during this process by Pladis’s refusal to act in good faith to find alternatives to closure.

‘With nearly 500 jobs, it’s not good enough to simply give up the future of the site. The Scottish Government must make every stop to save the factory and protect these important jobs. ”

Glasgow East MP David Linden said: ‘The news that Pladis has strongly rejected the substantial and comprehensive counter-proposal by the Action Group, set up by the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, is bitterly disappointing and hammering. for the east side.

David Linden, MP for Glasgow East

‘I gave the company the benefit of the doubt when he said it would make sense of the process, but his actions over the past few months have shown that there was little intention to act in good faith.

The GMB union representing workers at the factory said there should be ‘honest answers’ from plaidis. Hazel Nolan, senior organizer of GMB Scotland, said: ‘It now seems clear that pladis did not intend to be in good faith about the future of Tollcross non-Jim Cuthbert, general manager, told us that they’ expect more ‘of the counter-proposals, but no special comment on what’ more ‘would look like.

GMB Scotland’s statement following the announcement of @pladis_Global this morning they reaffirmed their intention to continue with the closure of the @McVities website in Tollcross, Glasgow. pic.twitter.com/MulokfJ9vk

– GMB Scotland (@GMBScotOrg) 11 August 2021

“It’s not good enough. If pladis walks out of this community after nearly a century of production and eighteen months of constant manufacturing during this COVID-19 pandemic, honest answers are the least the workforce deserves.

‘Honesty is also necessary for the members of the action group, because if a firm like Pladis no longer considers Scotland a viable place to do business, everyone must understand why and what needs to be done to further reduce to prevent production.

David Murray, managing director of pladis UK and Ireland, said: ‘We know this news will be difficult for our colleagues at Tollcross, so it’s a shame to announce our intention to continue with the proposal to launch the website close.

‘Our priority is to provide employees with the necessary support while we continue with the consultation.

‘Pladis houses some of the most popular brands in Britain that have been part of our society for almost two hundred years. To protect them for future generations, we must take steps to address the excess in the UK. ”