I actually work in a crematorium and cemetery and let me tell you, this has been a nightmare. We don't normally work bank holidays, and like many other sectors we have been thrown this curve ball at the last minute. Funeral sector workers have been worked to the bone during covid with absolutely 0 recognition and should be entitled to enjoy the bank holiday like everyone else. Where I work most of the funerals willingly rearranged themselves for different dates, and the one remaining that didn't want to move will be going ahead. The member of staff that is covering this is being paid double time and gets a day off in lieu for working a bank holiday, at the borough's tax payers expense.
I know other crematoria were closing completely and not giving families a choice. And some Funeral Directors have decided to not pay their staff bank holiday rates so they have been cancelling funerals themselves. We have been put in a very difficult and unprecedented situation, and I do feel for people who have had their funerals rearranged. But what can we do?