Inside Cathouse as workers speak out following unionisation

They alleged a raft of issues relating to their working conditions, including having to clean up human waste without the proper PPE, issues with rats and ants, and mould.

Read More:

• Cathouse workers lodge grievance over health and safety issues

• Scotland's 'most cherished cultural venues' at risk, industry group warns

• How nightclub scene changed post-Covid as young people struggled with etiquette

The Cathouse said that many of these issues were historic and had already been resolved, and called others "grossly inaccurate and defamatory".

The Herald spoke to several members of staff at the venue, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

This is what they had to say.

Inside The Cathouse All of the workers spoken to by The Herald said the drive toward unionisation was triggered by the events of Storm Éowyn.

One said: "We were given about an hour’s notice that we were no longer opening so people were trying to figure out a way to get in and then they just decided that because some people had said they couldn’t come in we just weren’t getting paid for it.

“It was just before the shift when people were already trying and failing to get in, we were also expected to pay for taxis in."

Another said: "It all started with Storm Éowyn.

“At first they were saying we were going to be open because the warning was due to end before we opened, but we pointed out that public transport wasn’t guaranteed.

“As it became apparent that nowhere was successfully opening it started to look like nobody would make it in and they still put off announcing we were going to be shut.

“That got a lot of people quite angry, justifiably so, especially given they cancelled the shift very last minute and we were told a couple of days later nobody would be getting paid."

A third said: "People have been trying to unionise for years but we never got enough momentum.

“Storm Éowyn really set it off, a lot of people were upset because we’d basically been left wondering if we were actually coming in, and they didn’t let us know it was cancelled until a couple of hours before – then decided not to pay us for our shift.

“A lot of people were really p**sed off about that and it helped convince others to sign up for the union."

While staff said the Cathouse did not attempt to prevent them from forming a union, management sought to speak to them about their concerns individually rather than as a collective.

Another common complaint is staff being sent home early from shifts if their bars close.

The Cathouse (Image: Newsquest) One said: "Quite a lot of the times during a Friday or Saturday shift, staff members on bars would be told to close early and they’d just be expected to find their own way home at one or two in the morning – that was very, very common."

Another said: "If your hours are already cut for that night because they’ve cut your shift short, you’re expected to either wait for hours on end to get a bus or fork out for a taxi.”

One major issue raised in the grievance is a lack of PPE available to staff.

One worker said: "Staff have been expected to clean up explosive diarrhea with nothing but a set of disposable gloves, toilet paper and a bin bag. That’s not a one-off experience it’s happened on a few occasions.

"They said they’ve provided aprons, but I’ve been there over a year and I’ve never been told about it and people who worked there before me going back three or four years had no idea they were there either."

Another added: "There’s not much more than latex gloves – no aprons or anything adequate for cleaning up human waste, which we’re expected to do.

“We do toilet checks and there are people throwing up and all this stuff, you’re often expected just to put bin bags over your hands and get on with it.

“These issues shouldn’t be a surprise to management, someone would raise it every week and nothing was getting done.

“Of the stuff they’re saying they have provided, some of it is things you’d have to go into the main office to get, which is locked if there’s no-one in and it’s very possible there wouldn’t be on a busy night because managers are out and about dealing with things.

“After we made the grievance they made sure some of these things were provided but they still aren’t providing aprons, which is something they should be providing for the types of waste we’re expected to deal with.

“Even trying to play by the rules they’re still missing key things, and the idea that it’s always been available is something they just know is not true. At most they’ve had it in the office to tick a box, but not available to the staff to use during the night.

“If someone was told to go and clean something up in the toilet and they wanted to go down to the office to get the proper PPE they’d almost certainly be asked, ‘why is this taking so long? Why aren’t you just up there dealing with it?’.

“Even if they technically have the PPE they don’t have it to hand in a way that you can get it quickly, and people are under pressure to do things quickly in the full knowledge that might mean they don’t have time to get all their PPE."

Another said: "The PPE they provide is just standard latex gloves and even then they run out sometimes, I’ve seen glass collectors have to clean up vomit with bin bags wrapped around their hands.

“Apparently there’s a pair of heavy duty gloves somewhere in the building, one pair, but we don’t know where it is."

Another said: "There was a night where the gender neutral toilets flooded, at the door there were just towels put down to stop the water getting out because it was going right down to the cloak room.

The Cathouse says that PPE is "available and provided to all workers".

In the grievance lodged to Cathouse management, workers cited issues with rats and ants.

It's understood the venue denies there has ever been any 'infestation', and that like other buildings in the city centre regular pest control visits by contractors are carried out.

All of the workers spoken to by The Herald made clear that they consider the venue a Glasgow institution, and that they work there because of their personal attachment to it.

One said: "I really do love the place. I was a customer before I started working there, it’s not a place I’d ever want to see the city lose.

“It’s because we want to see the place continue to exist and be what it is that we’re trying to say and fix things rather than doing what so many workers in the hospitality sector do and just quit their job and leave.

“It’s because we love the place that we’re fighting to make it worthwhile for people to stay. I don’t want to leave this place, I love the Catty, I just want the issues we have addressed.”

Another commented: "I’ve debated handing in my notice for a wee while now, and I’m at the point where I feel like if I do I’ll just get barred, and I do enjoy a night out there.

“At the same time, I don’t want to be going there regularly knowing the conditions aren’t great."

A third said: "I wouldn’t still be working there if it wasn’t for the people and the community.

“There are a lot of issues with working there, but you develop tight-knit relationships with your colleagues and the customers – it’s the one good thing about the place at the moment.”

The venue said it would not comment on individual staffing issues, and did not wish to comment further beyond a statement issued last week.

A spokesperson for The Cathouse said: "We are aware of grossly inaccurate and defamatory social media posts and on which we are taking legal advice. The allegations relating to working conditions are in many cases historic and were where problems were identified, were resolved immediately.

"In any event Unite’s characterisation is wholly misleading. We have continually offered to meet our employees and we have provided a detailed response last month to the grievance.

"We have a proud 35 year record of running our business collaboratively with our employees. Our status as a leading national venue was recognised in the Best Bar None award of ‘Best nightclub in Scotland’ in 2024. We have won many awards and widespread praise for our approach to customer welfare and to health and safety. Our success has come with support of our dedicated staff and our loyal and diverse customers. Any issues relating to employment or health and safety matters are always dealt with responsibly and professionally.

"We engage positively with our employees on a regular basis and are always happy to address legitimate issues as they arise. We respect the rights of our employees to be members of trade unions and will always engage in a positive and conciliatory manner with them, but we are not prepared to bow to what we consider unreasonable threats and misleading statements about our venue and committed management team."