Picket in support of sacked Dunnes Shop Steward

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Tuesday February 07, 2006 21:08

by Sean - Organise!

IT IS HAVING AN IMPACT!

Organise! have called for another picket outside the dunnes stores branch in the Park Centre(off the Donegal Rd) in Belfast for 1 0'Clock this Friday in support of Joanne Delaney, a shop steward sacked for wearing her union badge. We are calling on all activists and groups to join this picket and picket other local dunnes stores branches!

We hope to see you there as so we can continue this momentum and to keep the pressure up.

If people cannot make it to above it would be excellent if you could hold a picket at your local Dunnes store.

It only takes a handful of people to picket a shop. E-mail us and let us know if you can hold a local one. Whatever the case, those going to the Park centre, we will see you there.

IT IS HAVING AN IMPACT!

Organise! have called for another picket outside the dunnes stores branch in the Park Centre(off the Donegal Rd) in Belfast for 1 0'Clock this Friday in support of Joanne Delaney, a shop steward sacked for wearing her union badge. We are calling on all activists and groups to join this picket and picket other local dunnes stores branches!

We hope to see you there as so we can continue this momentum and to keep the pressure up.

If people cannot make it to above it would be excellent if you could hold a picket at your local Dunnes store.

It only takes a handful of people to picket a shop. E-mail us and let us know if you can hold a local one. Whatever the case, those going to the Park centre, we will see you there.

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 or organise a picket outside your local dunnes store

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 (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