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UNI Global Union joins Siptu’s fight to win justice for Clerys workers

UNI has joined widespread condemnation of the wholly unacceptable treatment of 400 workers who lost their jobs when the famous Dublin store was liquidated without notice at 17.30 on Friday.

SIPTU will meet with the liquidators KPMG today  to seek clarification on the position of their members.

SIPTU has also called a rally in support of the Clerys workers outside the department store, O’Connell Street, Dublin, today between 12.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to highlight the demand that the new owners, the real estate consortium Natrium, meet with staff.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Teresa Hannick, said, “The way these workers have been treated by Natrium, the consortium which took over Clerys on Friday and then liquated the company, is completely unacceptable.”

UNI’s Head of Commerce, Alke Boessiger said, “UNI’s 20 million members stand squarely with SIPTU and the Clerys workers who have been treated in a manner which goes beyond belief and is inhuman. Many of these workers have given their professional lives to Clerys, some have been there four decades and within minutes they were told to leave and the doors were locked. SIPTU and UNI will not stand for this treatment for Clerys loyal workforce, neither will the public.”

Ireland’s Minister for Jobs and Enterprise Richard Bruton said the way the Clerys workers were told their jobs had gone was “particularly appalling”.