News

Veterans of the historic Dunnes Store strike in Ireland have attended the state memorial service for Nelson Mandela, which took place at the FNB stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday December 10.

Other workers involved in the dispute will attend Mr Mandela’s funeral on Sunday as representatives of the Irish trade union movement.

In 1984, IDATU (now Mandate Trade Union) member and Dunnes store worker, Mary Manning, was suspended for refusing to handle South African goods. The move triggered a three-year strike with workers protesting outside the Dunnes store outlet on Henry Street in Dublin.

“The Irish trade union movement believes it is a fitting tribute that the Dunnes Stores strikers, who took such a brave stance against apartheid, should attend Mr Mandela’s funeral,” said Mandate general secretary, John Douglas.

It will be the first time since the three-year strike ended that the Dunnes Store strikers are all reunited.

“The last time this group tried to travel to South Africa they were held under armed arrest in Johannesburg airport for five hours and refused entry,” said Philip Jennings, general secretary of UNI Global Union.

“They go back to a South Africa free from the scourge of apartheid, wishing to pay their respects to South Africa’s first democratically elected President. It is a return with great symbolic significance.”

During their stay in South Africa, the Dunnes Store strike veterans will also meet members of COSATU.