Dunnes Protest on North Earl Street
dublin |
worker & community struggles and protests |
news report 
Wednesday February 15, 2006 21:25
by Jim
There was a good turnout at the Wednesday evening protest outside Dunnes Stores on North Earl Street. There was about 30 people there from various trade unions, friends of Joanne Delaney, Labour Youth, Sinn Fein, Workers Solidarity Movement, Labour Party and Class War as well as some non-aligned left wing activists.
There was an excellent response from members of the public and a general disgust at the way that Dunnes have treated Joanne. More protests outside Dunnes are planned, with a protest called by Labour Youth taking place in Cork on Thursday 16th at 5.30 outside the Patricks Street store. Protests in Crumlin outside the Ashleaf are taking place on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. And a Dunnes Protest called by the Socialist Party is taking place on Saturday Afternoon in Swords outside the Pavillion.
A futher city centre protest will take place outside Dunnes Stores on Grafton Street on Thursday 23rd February at 6pm.
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Good turnout.
Keep up the good work.
Solidarity etc..
By a considerable margin the Council of UCD Students' Union, representing almost 22,000 students in UCD, tonight expressed its solidarity with Joanne and called for her immediate reinstatement.
The following motion was carried following a lengthy and contentious debate during which a number of right-wing class reps attempted to put forward the notion that Joanne "deserved" to be sacked.
However, by a ratio of approximately 3-1, the Council passed this motion and sent out a clear message to Dunnes Stores - no to exploitation, no to bullying and harrassment, yes to unionisation and yes to worker's rights.
----------------
Council notes with dismay the recent dismissal of Joanne Delaney, a worker in the Dunnes Stores supermarket in the Ashleaf Shopping Centre, Dublin 12, on the basis of her activity within the workplace on behalf of the MANDATE trade union.
Council further notes that Joanne was dismissed on the pretence that wearing a trade union pin was against uniform policy, despite such detail not being part of the policy.
Council acknowledges that many members of UCD Students' Union are also employees of this particular company. Council reaffirms the right of all members of UCD Students' Union to join and be active within a trade union without fear of intimidation.
Council calls for the immediate reinstatement of Joanne Delaney and recognises the right to join and be active in a trade union as part of the right to freedom of peaceful association as outlined in Article 4.4 of the UCDSU Constitution.
In the context of low levels of trade union membership and the flagrant disregard for workers' rights at many of the companies who employ UCD students, Council mandates the President to instruct the Accommodation and Employment Officer to make contact with Joanne Delaney with a view to hosting a meeting on young workers' rights over the next month, to be addressed by Joanne.
------------------------
PS - UCD SU also passed a motion in support of the Ballybrack 3 and members will be attending tomorrow morning's picket on the Collen Construction site in Belfield.
leaflets were handed out to people at the Tariq Ali meeting in ATGWU. after the picket in Earls street last night.
"PS - UCD SU also passed a motion in support of the Ballybrack 3 and members will be attending tomorrow morning's picket on the Collen Construction site in Belfield."
No SU officers and no members of Labour Youth were at the picket on thurs or friday mornings despite the motion. The conflict of the picket line and the early start must be abhorrant to these pro social partnership UCD 'left' softies. Its all hot air with that crowd, when it come to it they prefer to play junior careerism in their suggestion box 'lets have nice couches and tea' non issue elections then be involved in real struggle.
no swp members were present at the earl st demo. why?
also why dont u stop trolling? are u an enemy of joannes paid by dunnes?
Well i wasn't there as it is simply not practical to travel from the south west of the city to the south east on public transport for 7am as requested. For the record (or whatever) I did not speak on any motion related to this as I wasn't even in the theatre at the time. Someone on another thread said that I had done so.
Fair play to all those who attend the picket, boo hiss to those (he) who troll(s) anonymously with the SAME line all the time. Next.
I know its a bit off topic but I think it needs to be said that this is a crucial issue for workers, the construction bosses are going on an offensive. If they are successful they could roll back the hard won victories of the 1990s which saw imporved safety and better pay and conditions for builders rolled back. It is also an important issue in terms of UCD. The college have given a contract to an anti union company with a terrible safety record. They shoudl be shamed and put under pressure to revoke the contract with Collen.
Therefore, Dermot will Labour candidates in the upcoming SU elections highlight this issue in their manifestos, literature, interviews, lecture addresses etc? Will Labour in UCD organise their members to be on the picket lines?
Niamh! LOL. Don't think I don't know who this is!
The Labour Party, Labour Youth, UCD Labour etc does not run candidates in SU elections.
I am not a member of the Committee of UCD Labour. Their email address is ucdlabour@hotmail.com
In the spirit of solidarity might I suggest you email my comrades and ask for their support. You already have mine.
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.