Picket in solidarity with sacked Dunnes Stores Shop steward

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Tuesday January 31, 2006 16:47 by Sean - Organise!

Organise! have called pickets of dunnes stores branches in Derry and Belfast city centre for 1 0'Clock this Friday in support of Joanne Delaney, a shop steward sacked for wearing her union badge. We are calling on comrades and groups to picket other local dunnes stores branches!

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REINSTATE JOANNE DELANEY – SACKED BY DUNNES FOR WEARING A UNION BADGE

Joanne Delaney was sacked by Dunnes stores in November 2005 for wearing her union badge on her uniform. With more than four years service in the Ashleaf store in Crumlin on the south side of Dublin, the 22 year-old MANDATE shop steward received a letter on the 29th of November 2005 informing her that she had been dismissed by the company.
Dunnes Stores has accused her of not complying with company policy in relation to the wearing of her union badge on her uniform, despite the fact that there is nothing in the policy about wearing a union badge. Joanne had been suspended by a manager at the store since 18th October for refusing to remove the Mandate Trade Union badge from her uniform. Joanne member was advised to attend a disciplinary meeting at 6.00p.m. on Friday, 21st October . However, the meeting was cancelled due to the fact that she was accompanied by her Union Representative. The Company has continually denied Joanne the right to Union representation at meetings with management.
Responding to the dismissal, Mandy Kane, Divisional Organiser of Mandate said “This sacking is petty, vindictive and does the image of Dunnes Stores no favours whatsoever”. Its also pretty much in keeping with the anti-union record of a company that sacked workers who refused to handle goods from South Africa during the Anti-Apartheid Boycott of the mid-eighties.
Things we can do to support the re-instatement of Joanne:
Support this picket and others.

Get your union branch to pass a motion in support of Joanne Delaney

Send a message to Dunnes Stores management

Or alternatively pay a visit to the current management in Dunnes in your local Dunnes store to express your disgust at the action taken by the company and in support of Joanne Delaney. You can also send a message to Dunnes management at: frank.dunne@dunnesstores.com or info@dunnesstores.com
To send a standard protest letter to Dunnes management join the online campaign at Labourstart (where more information can be obtained about the dispute) at: http://www.labourstart.org

AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

ORGANISE! P.O. Box 505, Belfast, BT12 6BQ.
Email; organiseireland@yahoo.ie
www.organiseireland.org