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Connolly’s Shoes Workers Still Standing Tall After a Year on Strike
Thursday 30 June 2011, 12am
Workers at Connolly’s Shoes, Dun Laoghaire have still not received the justice they deserve one year after the beginning of their strike. However, despite this, they are very much standing tall.
To mark their first anniversary on strike, MANDATE Trade Union has called on the owners of Connolly’s Shoes to pay the thousands of Euros owed to the four striking workers due to a number of awards from the Rights Commissioners. In addition, the union has issued a special e-card to thousands of its supporters around the country and has been drumming up messages of support from all over the world – including a letter from the US Union Leader, Joe Hansen, President of the UFCW which is published in this edition of MANDATE News.
Mandate Divisional Organiser, Joe Donnelly, explained that the workers went on strike because their employer, Matt Connolly, tried to unilaterally force further pay cuts on their workers and other changes in their conditions while they were already on a shorter working week.
Mr. Donnelly said that the workers have still received no compensation from Connolly Shoes a year after having been summarily dismissed.
“Indeed, the workers recently brought a number of cases before the Rights Commissioners and, as a result, sums totalling thousands of Euros were awarded in their favour for breaches of the Payment of Wages Acts. Unfortunately, Connolly’s Shoes have refused to pay over any of these awards leaving their workers in a very tight situation financially as a result. In addition, they have not attended hearings with either the Labour Relations Commission or the Rights Commissioners. However, despite this, the four strikers’ spirits remain remarkable high.”
Damian Keegan, one of the striking workers, explained that the last year has been a hard slog for him and his three colleagues. “The four of us, collectively, gave 110 years of loyal service to Connolly’s Shoes and we had a very good relationship with management until the current owner took over – this is why we have been so disappointed by how we have been treated by the company over the last year.”
“However, we’re determined to ensure that we get compensation for being summarily dismissed as well as the money we’re owed for the company’s breaches of the Payment of Wages legislation. It seems very strange to us that, in this day and age, our employer can get away with ignoring the Labour Relations Commission and the Rights Commissioners and leave us ‘high and dry’ as a result”
Mr. Keegan concluded by saying that if the four strikers get the money they are owed then they could get back to living more normal lives once again. He also acknowledged the huge support they have received from Mandate Trade Union, elected representatives and members of the public.
Joe Donnelly explained some of the background to the one-year old strike. ‘Connolly’s Shoes’ staff always recognised that in the current environment it may be necessary to look at reducing costs. In this context, it’s a measure of their commitment to the company that in autumn 2009, they believed that they had an agreement on working a shorter working week and hoped that the company’s owners would sit down and negotiate an ongoing agreement with them.
“However, only a few weeks later, Connolly’s Shoes insisted that the staff take a further pay cut and accept more changes to their working hours. The staff asked their employer to negotiate with Mandate Trade Union and he refused. Connolly’s Shoes then asked the workers to sign an undertaking agreeing to these changes and when two refused, they were sacked without any notice. Two of their colleagues supported the two sacked workers and they were summarily dismissed as well.”
Joe Donnelly pointed out that nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition calling on the owners of Connolly’s Shoes to enter negotiations with their staff members or their representatives Mandate Trade Union.
“The strike was granted ‘all out strike’ status by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and has received incredible support from the public. During July 2010, hundreds of local Dun Laoghaire people, trade unionists and prominent politicians – including the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Éamon Gilmore TD – turned out in support of the workers at a public rally,” Joe Donnelly concluded.