Shoe Shop Workers being walked all over

Thursday 1 July 2010

Over 5,000 supporters call for management to negotiate with dismissed workers

Four workers delivered a petition with over 5,000 signatures to the owners of Connolly Shoes today requesting that management enter negotiations with their staff members or their representatives Mandate Trade Union. The workers were dismissed by their employer over 12 weeks ago without any notice, just cause and without compensation.

The workers, who were all employees of Connolly Shoes in Dun Laoghaire, had over 110 years of loyal service with the company between them. Two of the workers were dismissed after failing to sign an undertaking which would erode their terms and conditions of employment including their income and hours of employment. The remaining two workers were dismissed for balloting and participating in strike action following the initial dismissals.

The workers have been on strike for the last 12 weeks but say they had never been a party to any industrial dispute before. However, the aggressive behaviour of their employers, Matthew Connolly and Aidan Nevin, had unfortunately left them with no option but to engage in this industrial action.

Damien Keegan, one of the sacked workers said, “It is disappointing and very disheartening to think that after 30 and 38 years service to a company, practically your entire adult life, an employer could treat you in the manner in which we have been treated. Quite simply we have been walked all over by Connolly Shoes’ owners.

“Earlier in the year we were asked to sign an undertaking which would drastically undermine our terms and conditions including our pay. Some of us were already working five days per week but were only getting paid for three of those days yet the owners wanted us to take a 10 percent pay cut on top of these reduced hours. This was totally unfair and it was at this point we respectfully requested that management negotiate any changes to our terms and conditions with our union Mandate. Unfortunately they refused and instead chose to take the step of dismissing two of us and following that sacked two of our workmates for supporting us.”

He added, “We have received a huge amount of support from the people of Dun Laoghaire and from workers across the country who have heard of the treatment we have received. On behalf of the workers I’d like to thank every person who signed the petition and I would once again like to urge management to sit down and talk to us and resolve this unnecessary dispute as soon as possible.

Commenting on the workers next steps, Mr Keegan said, “We are determined that we will continue our protests until we reach a fair and equitable outcome and also some recognition for the hard work we put in over the years in order to build up Mr Connolly’s business. We have no intention of just going away.”

Mandate explained that two weeks ago the owners of Connolly Shoes closed the store to the public citing the protracted industrial relations dispute and the impact this was having on their business. As a result the workers have been left with no alternative but to deliver the petition to Mr Nevin, the owner of the company, in his place of employment in Davy Stockbrokers on Dawson Street since the company has closed its doors to them.

Last Monday morning Mandate Trade Union attended bilateral discussions facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). Mandate say they went with a view to resolving the dispute, a view which the union claims wasn’t reciprocated and they have now been left with no option but to continue highlighting the injustices perpetrated on their members.

Gerry Light, Assistant General Secretary for Mandate Trade Union said, “We have no doubt that Mr Connolly only participated in the LRC process for optics and never had any real desire to resolve this dispute amicably. It is unfortunate because we know that the workers were very hopeful that the discussions would be able to provide a reasonable outcome for them, but once again they have been left disappointed by their employer.”

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.