Calls to Support Green Isle Foods' Strikers
26 Feb 2010
Congress President Jack O'Connor has called on all union members to support the rally on Saturday (Feb 27) for the Green Isle Foods Strikers. Two of the men are now on hunger strike.
The rally is organised by Kildare Council of Trade Unions and will assemble at the Storm Cinema car park in Naas at 12 noon. This will be followed by a march to the Green Isle Foods plant.
The first hunger striker, Jim Wyse will have been on hunger strike for 11 days by Saturday and the second man, John Guinan, for four days. A further Green Isle Foods worker will join them next Wednesday.
Mr O'Connor said: "They have been out for six months and it is only since James Wyse began his hunger strike that the company entered talks. Before that it not only refused to talk to the TEEU but rebuffed interventions by the Labour Relations Commission, the National Implementation Body and the Labour Court.
"The dispute is over the dismissal of three TEEU members through an internal disciplinary procedure that denied them any representation by their union. Eventually the union referred the case to the Labour Court, which found the men had indeed been unfairly dismissed and should be fully reinstated or paid €160,000 in compensation. The company said it did not recognise unions and the Labour Court was not an appropriate forum to deal with the issue.
"The shop stewards made a final effort to meet management and discuss terms for a return to work in January only to be rebuffed again. It was at that point that James Wyse advocated the hunger strike tactic and, as its proposer, insisted on being the first volunteer.
"These men are defending a basic civil liberty to be represented in their workplace by a trade union if they so wish. It is a right recognised in virtually every other EU member state. These men not only deserve your support but it is in your interest as much as theirs that they win this struggle. Therefore I am asking each and every one of you who can to attend the rally in Naas on Saturday to do so.
http://www.teeu.ie/petition.asp#petition
