Cathouse owners, Hold Fast Entertainment, have rejected allegations calling them “grossly inaccurate” and “wholly misleading.”
Cathouse in Glasgow has been running for 35 years.
Employees at one of Scotlands most well-known nightclubs have raised serious concerns about their working environment, prompting a formal grievance supported by the Unite trade union.
According to Unite, two-thirds of staff at Glasgow’s Cathouse have unionised, citing multiple health and safety issues. Complaints include a vermin and insect “infestation,” “severe mould,” and management allegedly “encouraging the venue to go above legal capacity.”
Workers also accused the club’s owners, Hold Fast Entertainment, of neglecting essential building maintenance, claiming toilets have flooded and that staff have had to clean up faeces “without proper PPE.” They also reported a lack of hot water for handwashing, reports GlasgowLive.
In response, Hold Fast Entertainment rejected the allegations, calling them “grossly inaccurate” and “wholly misleading.” The company also accused Unite of making “unreasonable threats.”
Unite Hospitality shared a statement on social media, describing the conditions as “shocking,” and said: “Despite receiving a formal collective grievance 25 days ago, senior management at Hold Fast Entertainment have failed to even set a date to meet workers to discuss these serious issues.
“With the support of their union these workers shall now be taking all reasonable action industrially and legally to win a safer/fairer workplace.”
Glasgow’s Cathouse night club gas been a popular spot for decades.
Cathouse management also posted a statement via social media, stating: “We are aware of grossly inaccurate and defamatory social media posts, on which we are taking legal advice. The allegations relating to working conditions are in many cases historic and where problems have been 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.
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“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.”
Unite has indicated it will continue to support the workers in pursuing improvements through both legal and industrial action.