Get Up Stand Up leafletting in Blanchardstown

by Get Up, Stand Up Wed Jul 27, 2005 17:24 getupstandup at yahoogroups dot com

Join us in visiting shops and giving staff leaflets about their rights as workers and why they should join a trade union. This coming Saturday we are covering the Blanchardstown Centre.

Meeting outside the Draiocht Theatre (it's opposite the Centre's main entrance) at 2pm.

Bus: 37, 70, 76a, 236, 237. 238. 239, 270.

The leaflet explains the few rights we have (holiday pay, minimum wage, etc) and gives contact details for four unions organising shop workers (MANDATE, ATGWU, SIPTU and IWU).

The 'get up, stand up' initiative started on May Day this year. So far we have covered:
Parnell Street, Mary Street, Henry Street, Talbot Street,
O'Connell Street, Grafton Street, and the new Dundrum Centre.

It has already seen some of these workers contact unions.

So if you have about 45 minutes to spare this Saturday, please come along.

www.getupstandup.tk

by get up, stand up Thu Jul 28, 2005 16:21

I've just been told that Saturday's activity at Blanchardstown has been postponed (new date to be announced), as some of those who volunteered will be helping the Polish workers at Tesco's warehouse (see below)

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Polish workers took action today at Tesco Distribution on Greenhills Road in Dublin

Following on from the GAMA and Irish Ferry scandals it appears TESCO's are the latest company to be caught out exploiting migrant workers. A picket took place at their Distribution depot on Greenhills Road in Dublin today.

We first became aware of the issue late yesterday after receiving an email from Poland via someone in Italy (globalisation cuts both ways).

The text of this follows (edited to remove full names).

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We received a statement by a Committee of Defence of Temp Workers in Tesco in Dublin organized by Polish temp workers. They organized after two temp workers, Z. B. and R. S. were laid off from Tesco Distribution on Greenhills Road in Dublin.

They were fired for protesting against continuous rising of daily norms and criticizing the recruitment system (leasing employees from temp agencies Grafton and Jobs).

The Committee of Defence of Temp Workers in Tesco demands:

1. Cancel the layoff for the fired workers
2. Making a rule that a temp worker who worked longer than 3 months gets a permanent contract with all benefits
3. Tesco must get rid of the daily norm of 1000 boxes.

The Committee will organize a protest at the gate of the wholesale department on July 28th (this thursday) at 13:30 Dublin time.

Demands will be passed to management during the picket. If the demands are ignored, the Committee will call for a strike at Tesco Distribution and a blockade of the wholesale department.

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People who attended the picket to show solidarity reported that a short strike had taken place in the depot that morning and that around a dozen workers were picketing the gate over lunch. The workers who were Polish reported that protests are also taking place in Poland today in solidarity with them.

They had made two banners for the picket one of which showed cartoon of a worker being torn apart between TESCOs and the temp agency.

It is estimated that there are over 50,000 Polish workers in Ireland.

by sovietpop - wsm Thu Jul 28, 2005 18:50

where and when are people meeting up on Saturday to help the polish workers?