Dublin City Council unanimously backs Green Isle workers

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Monday March 01, 2010 22:22 by SF - Sinn Féin

Members of Dublin City Council tonight (1 March 2010) voted unanimously to support an Emergency Motion from Sinn Féin backing the workers at the Green Isle Foods plant in Naas. One of the workers, Jim Wyse, has been on hunger strike since 17 February.

Members of Dublin City Council tonight (1 March 2010) voted unanimously to support an Emergency Motion from Sinn Féin backing the workers at the Green Isle Foods plant in Naas. One of the workers, Jim Wyse, has been on hunger strike since 17 February.

Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh said: “I am delighted that the motion put tonight by my colleague, Cllr Críona Ní Dhálaigh, was passed but it is especially important that it was passed unanimously. This is a clear and unambiguous message, cutting across party lines, that the elected representatives of Dublin City back this protest and the members of the TEEU.

“Jim’s hunger strike has brought national attention to an industrial dispute that has been going on now for six months as workers at the Naas plant protest against the firing of three of their colleagues.

“The company has callously ignored proposals from the Labour Relations Commission and the National Implementation Body to resolve the dispute. It has rejected a Labour Court recommendation that backed the workers and demanded their reinstatement.

“Green Isle Foods must reinstate the men immediately and enter direct talks with their union, the TEEU, to resolve the dispute.”