Debenhams Workers Protest Bank of Ireland Locations
Friday 26 June 2020Issued by: Mandate Trade Union
Debenhams workers from across the Republic of Ireland are protesting today (Friday, 26th June 2020) outside a number of Bank of Ireland locations between 12noon and 2pm as part of their campaign to win redundancy pay for more than 1,000 workers (protest locations are listed below).
Debenhams management notified workers in the Republic of Ireland by email in April stating they would have no jobs to return to after the COVID19 pandemic had passed. The company transferred valuable assets out of the country before they sought liquidation, severely limiting the chance of workers obtaining redundancy payments from the company.
Brian Forbes, Mandate’s National Coordinator for Campaigns said the workers’ treatment by the owners of Debenhams has caused huge frustration and devastation which means this issue will not be going away until the workers have achieved a satisfactory outcome:
“We are publicly calling on Bank of Ireland as part of the CELINE UK ownership structure to do the right thing by these workers without any further delay. CELINE UK is a mix of banks and US hedge funds, such as Barclays, Bank of Ireland, Silver Point and GoldenTree and can well afford a financial resolution to this matter.
Given the fact that Bank of Ireland previously received a €4.8 billion State bailout and is currently 14 per cent State owned they should use their position within the ownership structure of Debenhams UK to help resolve this ongoing nightmare scenario for Irish workers seeking a fair redundancy payment” said Forbes.
Continuing Mr Forbes added, “These loyal workers, year on year, helped to generate significant profits for the Debenhams owners and it is morally incumbent upon the Bank of Ireland to act now in a responsible and positive manner to help these workers achieve a fair and reasonable resolution to this dispute. If the owners of Debenhams UK believe they can treat these workers with such disrespect and walk away from it, they can think again. Bank of Ireland have a moral responsibility to ensure a just settlement for these workers who are collectively very much prepared for a tough fight to achieve justice and so is their trade union.”
ENDS
Bank of Ireland Protest Locations for Friday 26th June 2020:
Bank of Ireland on the Quay Waterford
Bank of Ireland Castle Street, Tralee.
Bank of Ireland O’Connell Street, Limerick
Bank of Ireland, 32 South Mall, Cork
Bank of Ireland, 43 Eyre Square, Galway
Bank of Ireland, College Green, Dublin
Bank of Ireland, Blanchardstown Village, Dublin
Bank of Ireland, Tallaght Village, Dublin
Bank of Ireland, Main Street, Blackrock, Dublin
