Today the occupation of Iceland Talbot Street in Dublin entered its 60th day.
Carlow’s Cllr John Cahill noted that Carlow Iceland also abruptly closed down this week with their store manager taking to local radio to tell of shame and fear, anger and helplessness at the careless handling of the closure there where workers had formed a community around the place they worked for over 10 years. They had just 30 minutes’ notice and announcement read off a piece of paper by a representative on behalf of the examiner.
On Tuesday 22 August, Waterford Iceland too was notified it would be closed with immediate effect They had union structure in place. Workers there followed the Independent Workers Union members in Talbot Street and Coolock to independently occupy their workplace. Their union SIPTU sought to distance itself from the occupation officially but worker occupations remain the best tactic workers themselves have to make these closures visible and have their plea for justice heard by the community and the state. Examples like Game Stop, Debenhams, and recently Tara Mines all show that workers facing snap closures should move to occupy (Don’t get locked out, get locked in!)
People across Ireland are appalled at the treatment of the workers right around the country where over 18 stores of the 27. Why are employers allowed to be so careless with workers’ lives?
Back in Dublin in Bernard Mulvany of People Before Profit Dublin Bay North was in the High Court with workers on Monday as the landlords and owners’ solicitors bickered about hypothetical damages to each other’s reputation. 10 feet behind them a dozen workers sat at the back of the court in shocked silence at how their complete working lives had been tossed aside and were being virtually ignored during the proceedings, only allowed to speak with the examiner’s solicitor’s permission.
Mulvany has been a constant fixture at the occupation of Talbot St. Iceland now on Day 60. Today he noted reports of stock removals: ‘More dirty tricks!’ Stock removals by separate retail company connected to the company and removals of cash should not be happening during an court ordered examinership. ‘They are playing fast and loose with property, the law, and these workers lives and families. 60 days they’ve been in here. Sometimes they need to bring the children with them. Now that’s about enough. Two months. You’d want to have some cheek to say there’s equal rights for workers under this government.’ He and former PBP Cllr. Andrew Keegan (Artane-Whitehall) are holding a fundraiser for the workers on 9 September.
Poster for the Fundraiser organised by Andrew Keegan PBP (Artane-Whitehall)
ACTION IN WATERFORD SAT. 26 AUG
Waterford Countil of Trade Unions has called on workers to snap rally in response to the snap closure at the occupied Iceland shop tomorrow. They send this emergency message sent out this afternoon:
STRONGER TOGETHER25 AUGUST 2023
The Council is asking for all workers to show their support for the Iceland workers occupying the Store on the Cork Road.
A Solidarity Rally will be held at the Iceland Store on the Cork Road, Waterford, at 1.00pm tomorrow, Saturday 26 August.
Please come along and bring as many people with you as you can, to help the workers trying to secure fair treatment.
Fraternally,
TOM CREEDON
SECRETARY
MORE TO COME; NATIONAL ACTION NEEDEDPeople Before Profit was not alone in warning that more closures would be coming. The government can do dozens of things to make workers’ pay and jobs more certain. Government can be recalled and the TDs and pass the Debenhams Bill with immediate effect. This government’s consistent wilful denial of workers’ rights to dignity and respect has left all workers in huge uncertainty while theCost of Living Crisis continues to grow.
Workers should take concrete steps to support the occupations, encourage every shop worker to build their workplace union, and actively support campaigns like the Cost of Living Campaign to bring tens of thousands on the streets on 7 Oct 2023. We hope to see the Iceland workers there.
Iceland Waterford Occupation Sign 22 August 2023