Mandate Trade Union members donate €2,500 to locked-out Greyhound workers

Members of Mandate Trade Union have presented a cheque for €2,500 to 70 Greyhound staff today as they end their sixth week locked-out by their employer.

Speaking to the workers at their union meeting, Mandate General Treasurer Margaret O’Dwyer, a retail worker in Marks & Spencer, said:

“On behalf of the 45,000 members in Mandate Trade Union, I want to assure the Greyhound workers of our Union’s commitment to their struggle.

“I would also like to express our sincere solidarity as they seek to protect pay and conditions, not only for themselves, but for their families too.

“As a retail worker in Dublin, I am appalled at how the Greyhound workers have been treated by their employer. I know many of my colleagues and friends across the retail sector in Dublin are also disgusted by the actions of Greyhound. This is not how you treat your loyal workers in 2014,” she said.

Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary said, “Our members on the National Executive made the decision to make this donation because they see this dispute for what it is; an attempt to drive down living conditions for ordinary workers who have been loyal, dedicated and have helped to make Greyhound one of the leading waste disposal companies in Ireland.

“Our members – who are predominantly low-paid workers in the retail sector – have sent a very strong message to Greyhound management with this donation. You cannot and will not starve these workers into submission; not while they have the support of the trade union movement and local communities across Dublin and the rest of Ireland.

He concluded: “We will not allow Mr Buckley’s race to the bottom go uncontested and the bravery of these workers and the solidarity from ordinary workers and trade unions is testament to that fact.”

Jesse Hughes, SIPTU Shop Steward at Greyhound said:

“The solidarity that trade union members across the country are showing to the locked out Greyhound workers is helping us stay strong in our battle for justice.

“Being locked out is incredibly difficult. Most of us have young families and mortgages payments to make. However this generous donation from Mandate, as well as the many others we are receiving from other unions and ordinary workers, means that we will be able to survive until the company realises it can not treat workers as if it was 1913.”