Connolly Shoes owners close shops and make six more staff redundant

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Mandate say that even at this late stage they are available for talks to resolve the dispute.

The Mandate Trade Union has expressed its profound disappointment at today’s announcement that Connolly Shoes in Dun Laoghaire is closing its doors with the resulting redundancy of six additional members of staff.

Four workers at the company had been on strike for the last 13 weeks following the dismissal of two senior staff members for failing to agree an undertaking which would seriously erode their terms and conditions of employment including hours and pay. The two workers had over 30 years of service each in the company. Since then, management has sacked two more members of staff for participating in the strike action and between the four dismissed workers they have a combined total of 100 years service in the company.

Mandate’s Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Light, explained that in addition to closing the store this morning, Connolly Shoes has erected a sign outside the store which makes potentially libellous allegations against union officials and members. Mr Light said that the union will be seeking legal advice on the matter.

“It is extremely disappointing that Mr Matthew Connolly and his business partner, Mr Aidan Nevin, have allowed this dispute to reach the point that it has. It is doubly disappointing that the owners have made a conscious decision to close a store that has been in operation in Dun Laoghaire for nearly 60 years rather than making the obvious and responsible choice to accept an invitation to attend the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) for talks in order to resolve the issues in the dispute.

“Connolly Shoes’ management has stubbornly decided that closing the store and making six more staff redundant is preferable to accepting separate invitations from Mandate and the LRC to attend conciliation talks. Even the Labour Party Leader, Eamon Gilmore, has made himself available as an honest broker for the resolution of the dispute but Connolly’s Shoes management has thus far refused,” said Mr Light.

Mandate say that even at this late stage they are prepared to sit down with the management of the company to discuss the issues with any independent third party in an effort to save the jobs. However, they also say they will continue to pursue the issue until a satisfactory outcome can be achieved for their members.

“We are appealing to the common sense of the owners to accept the invitation, which has been extended by the LRC twice and by ourselves on several occasions, to attend third party discussions. Until then, we will have to decide on what our next steps will be in order to ensure that our members achieve a satisfactory outcome.”

NOTE TO EDITOR

Background to dispute
Last autumn, the workers held a strike but the action was suspended as a result of agreements reached between the workers and their employer which would see staff working reduced hours as a compromise. However, since then management have:

• Reneged on that agreement with regard to staff working a 3 day week. They have changed rosters and further reduced hours without consultation;
• Issued an ultimatum to certain staff insisting that they agree to work any roster issued by management and perform any duties that management deem necessary or else face dismissal;
• Actually dismissed two employees, each with more than 30 year’s service, for not signing this document;
• Been found guilty of breaches of the Payment of Wages Act, but have refused to pay the compensation awarded to staff;
• Continued to refuse to recognise Mandate Trade Union or to attend Labour Relations Commission or Rights Commissioners’ Hearings.

Mandate and the workers involved have made genuine efforts to resolve all of the issues with the employer in order to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. However, we have been met with continued aggression and hostility since we called off the initial strike. It’s clear that management played off the trusting nature of their employees by negotiating a settlement in order to end the dispute last autumn, and then continued with the unilateral deterioration of their terms and conditions.

The strike has been granted ‘all out strike’ status by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and has received incredible support from the public. On Friday 21 May last, hundreds of local Dun Laoghaire people, trade unionists and prominent politicians turned out in support of the workers at a public rally.