Multi-national Owner of McVities Biscuits To Close Scottish Factory Despite Huge Profits

21st May 2021

"Our factory, Our Future" - McVitie's workers demo in fight for jobs and investment

Workers and their families from the closure threatened McVitie's manufacturing plant in Tollcross, will demonstrate tomorrow morning (Saturday 22 May) with a loud and clear message for its owners: "Our factory. Our future."

Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and local restrictions, workers will be supported by the local community and elected representatives, after McVitie's owners, the giant snacks multi-national pladis, announced shock plans for the closure of the Tollcross site by next year.

The closure of the factory would mean the loss of nearly 470 jobs, predominantly local-based workers, ending to nearly a century of food manufacturing in the East-end of Glasgow, despite full production during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week, GMB accused pladis of betraying the Tollcross workers, after they contributed significantly to the company’s £2.1 billion revenues, £186 million in operating profits, and the strongest industry growth reported in the last five years.

GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said:"McVitie’s has been in the East end of Glasgow for nearly a century. Generations of locals have produced for the people, through ups and downs, austerity and prosperity, war and pandemic.

“This is the story of company that has thrived during the COVID-19 crisis, generating eye-watering revenues and profits, and thanks in no small part to the efforts of a workforce who are now being rewarded with the closure of their plant. It’s utterly shameful.

“It’s clear that the owners, pladis, want to get back to “business as usual", but the workers aren’t leaving this unchallenged - they want to protect food manufacturing in their community, they want investment in their plant and jobs for the next generation.

“Tomorrow in Tollcross, workers and their families will send a loud and clear message to pladis: “This is our factory, it’s our future, and we are going to fight for it.”

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