From Broadcast here:
Labour MPs have tabled an early day motion following True North’s Dispatches: Undercover Undertaker on Co-operative Funeralcare that aired earlier this week on Channel 4.
The motion stated MPs were “shocked and disgusted” by the Channel 4 doc which showed the funeral care provider stored coffins containing bodies in warehouses on industrial estates.
Sponsored by Labour MP Roger Godsiff and backed by fellow party members Ronnie Campbell and Virendra Sharma, it went on to call for the resignation of those staff responsible.
“This House… believes that a mutual organisation can, and should, have higher ethical standards than a purely profit-orientated company,” the motion said.
Co-operative Funeralcare managing director George Tinning said the footage aired was not “typical” of its business.
“We operate specialised facilities in each area servicing various branches in that area and in those facilities we have mortuaries, coffin storage, garaging and the like.
“Most of them are associated with funeral homes, very few of them are on high streets because it would be totally inappropriate to have mortuaries in every high street,” he said.
“You can rest assured that although this is a side of our business that the public don’t see, that they are amongst the finest in the profession and facilities that we are very proud of.”
Searching YouTube to watch the programme again, I came across this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HLYu6K99aA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Now that is shocking.
Context is everything Simon. As you know, that is Carl Marlow with the body of Rajpal Mehat, a 31 year old Indian immigrant who drowned in a canal and lay unidentified in a morgue for months. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and as you can see from Carl ‘s reaction, the smell must have been dreadful. Brave of Carl to allow that to be filmed, but not much scares Carl. If dirty looks in Newcastle crem could kill, Carl would have been in one of his wingless Angels of the North coffins a long time ago.
Oh that’s ok then, just for a moment I thought that it was a deceased person……
Oh and where was he, in a mortuary or a warehouse, one rule for one, one rule for another…….
Being dead, I don’t imagine Rajpal minded. Isn’t weirdly counter intuitive that the people who really need looking after during this process are the living? Sad that this exaggerated courtesy towards the one person who is beyond needing it is often at the their expense. Say what you like about Carl, and many do, he’s not going to be hiding the cheaper option, forcing families to have unnecessary procedures or flat out lying to them.
Simon, there is a difference between revelation and exhumation, between old news and breaking news. The YouTube video you have drawn to our attention first featured on this blog the better part of four years ago on 9 September 2008: http://tinyurl.com/83avna9. It refers to an event which occurred in 2006. It was I who posted it.
The context is as Ru Callender describes above. You say you find it shocking, but I’d suggest that that’s not the point. Baba Ghai and the members of the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society, at whose bidding Carl made arrangements for the open-air cremation of Rajpal Mehat, were perfectly satisfied with the manner in which he conducted the undertaking. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it, meeting the wishes and needs of those for whom you work? Check out this link for further background: http://tinyurl.com/6q84rk3
You have posted a link to this video in the comments column beneath other posts. That was injudicious. We can only conduct a debate about a topic in one place at a time. So I have removed the link from other posts.
You clearly feel strongly about this matter and we are keen that you should put your case in the form of a full and reasoned argument. You can do this effectively by publishing your own critique of what I suppose to be what concerns you, namely the controversy presently surrounding Co-operative Funeralcare. We therefore extend an invitation to you to do that. Email me your text and, subject to the customary rules of publishing, we will post it. In extending that courtesy, I must tell you that we should need to know more about you. I expose my identity on the internet because it makes me directly, personally responsible for what I say. I think we have reached the point where you need to tell us more about yourself so that we can continue the debate on the same terms. We must display the courage of our convictions.
The GFG blog is a place where people come to debate matters of interest and concern. We listen to each other with open minds, learn from each other and either refine or alter our views. Warfare is fruitless.
With ref to the above, I have had second thoughts about removing your comment from other posts for the time being, Simon.
Charles
Guess a little fustration comming out, but this subject is being debated on all the blogs I posted it on.
If you want to move them all to one place, perhaps a specific blog on the subject please feel free.
Simon
Simon, I have invited you to post a full and reasoned response to Undercover Undertaker – have you read what have written? Write what you have to say in full and email it to me. And please stop spamming, it is an abuse of hospitality.
Why would I write a separate post about the YouTube video you have linked to? I said all I have to say in 2008. It’s there for all to see
At least the Co-Op now seem mostly to operate under their own name, though I believe there are still places where the old family business name is kept. I’m just arranging the funeral for a family member and, being a Celebrant, thought I was wise to most things. However I was very surprised to find out that the firm local to my family home, which we have always used, is now part of Dignity. There really should be greater clarity about who runs these firms, and whether any others use this dreadful ‘hub’ facility for the care of our loved ones. The Co-Op probably are not alone in this.
This is my first time on the site – and it’s so refreshing to see the comments and info. Well done Charles! – let’s keep funerals in the hands of the family.
Hello Alan
Yes, as far as I know, Dignity operate similar hub operations
and if I may sak are you instructing said ‘local firm’?
regards
andrew
Hi Charles
the link that you posted ‘is subscriber only’…………
are you able to cut and paste the text please?
regards
andrew
Hi Andrew
You are digging up some excellent stuff in that indefatigable way of yours. On behalf of all of us, thank you.
I managed to download the whole article, but they seem to have put the shutters up. There wasn’t much more in it than that.
thx Charles
best
andrew
‘Searching YouTube to watch the programme again, I came across this’
Simon, no one believes you. I think you probably put those videos up yourself, several times in fact. You have made yourself look like a fool, you poor poor boy.
Charles
Here’s the full text of the piece that kicked off this thread
‘Labour MPs have tabled an early day motion following True North’s Dispatches: Undercover Undertaker on Co-operative Funeralcare that aired earlier this week on Channel 4.
The motion stated MPs were “shocked and disgusted” by the Channel 4 doc which showed the funeral care provider stored coffins containing bodies in warehouses on industrial estates.
Sponsored by Labour MP Roger Godsiff and backed by fellow party members Ronnie Campbell and Virendra Sharma, it went on to call for the resignation of those staff responsible.
“This House… believes that a mutual organisation can, and should, have higher ethical standards than a purely profit-orientated company,” the motion said.
Co-operative Funeralcare managing director George Tinning said the footage aired was not “typical” of its business.
“We operate specialised facilities in each area servicing various branches in that area and in those facilities we have mortuaries, coffin storage, garaging and the like.
“Most of them are associated with funeral homes, very few of them are on high streets because it would be totally inappropriate to have mortuaries in every high street,” he said.
“You can rest assured that although this is a side of our business that the public don’t see, that they are amongst the finest in the profession and facilities that we are very proud of.”
It does make me cringe a little when MP’s start commenting on what is “shocking and disgusting” and claiming the moral high ground especially when two of these got caught up in the expenses scandal of recent times.
That particular nasty little episode affected each and every one of us through their sheer greed until it was exposed.
Roger Godsiff got stung for £7,000 for “ahem” office sundries which he said he will pay back.
And Ronnie Campbell agreed to give back £6,000 claimed for house furnishings.
Perhaps if they acted a little more ethical themselves then we could view them with an ounce of credibility.
Dear Omega
Good points but not allied to what is the issue here. MP’s (overpaid) expenses can be repaid, a bad funeral experience (wherever ‘obtained’) is something completely different
yours
andrew
Yeah I suppose your right Andrew.
All they do is pay back our money they spent in feathering their lavish nests and all is forgiven then go back to lecturing others to never make mistakes.And please don’t try to simplify the matter by bracketing the word overpaid as you know exactly what a huge scandal it was.Maybe it’s not allied to this particular problem but it’s the morality of their stance.
In the history of mankind human error has always played a part and always will no matter how good we think we ALL are.
And ANY man that says he has never made a mistake is a liar.
It really is about how we go about fixing those mistakes that we’ve made Andrew that really count.
Ah A.N…your back!! But itwould appear to the eagle eyed contributors on this blog that the comment you made above should’ve come from me!
Now people think we are one and the same person you idiot!
Sorry Omega but I pressed the submit button before I realised my alter ego name and email was already there,do you think they’ll notice?
Nah,I shouldn’t think so.
MrXX has been getting away with it for ages!,;)
We’ll get our coats………
All this duplicity seems to be mighty contagious in a corporate sort of way…..
TAXI for STAFF!!!
Once and for all, ‘your’ is the possessive; ‘you’re’ is the word you’re looking for, as you’ll see if you’d look back at your previous comments, all of you. Your ‘your’ is giving your ignorance away every time you’re misusing it.
Grrr.
Ha ha there’s a sense of humour in the post Nick,wear it well.
Taxis almost here and wondered if Gloria,Ann,MrXX,Dawn etc wanted to share it? I think there might be enough room.
Nah, thought not:)
Regards.
thanks A.N.Employee/Omega
yours
andrew
it’s getting creepy in here.
Fantastic. My favourite moment so far. You couldn’t make it up! Er…
I think it’s safe to come out now everyone… the smoke has cleared, but take care – there may be a couple of mirrors still about…