Paris Bakery owners run crying to the Herald

dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Wednesday May 28, 2014 13:13 by Andrew - WSM

The Herald contains a bizarre full page whinge from the owner of the Paris Bakery about how the publicity their failure to pay their workers received has 'destroyed my life.' It's heartening as the occupation enters its 6th day to see that both Yannick Forel and Ruth Savill have come under enough pressure from the workers to feel the need to make public statements. But they need to meet with the workers and make arrangements to pay the estimated 130,000 in wages owed.

The Herald today

While they might well feel that the publicity around their failure to pay the wages is hard on them how much harder is it on their workers who have found themselves owed months of wages and have now had to sleep on the bakery floor for 5 nights. Workers who in some cases have been made homeless by this failure to pay wages owed. Until they pay those wages they should expect to be under pressure and for that pressure to increase.

Paris Bakery workers are now in their 6th day of occupation demanding that they are paid the wages they are owed. Mark reported that "Former worker just walked in to ParisBakery and is still owed €15,000 following labour court decision" Shane who has also been staying overnight with the workers said among those giving them support were "the Migrants Rights Centre, Mandate and the Plasterers Union."

Monday night the workers said "It's been a long day. In the afternoon, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton and Minister of State for Trade and Development Joe Costello visited us. They listened to our issues and Minister Burton promised to help us to access emergency support. RTÉ News filmed the meeting.

Then, Yannick agreed to meet MRCI representatives - but he refused to meet with the workers. He is still just saying that he and Ruth won't pay us.

We are settling in for another night now. It is a struggle to stay positive.

We can't believe we have to do this just to get wages we have already worked for. It's unfair we are parents humans and hard workers that need our paid..."