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UNI is asking all affiliates and activists to sign SIPTU’s international online petition launched today in support of Clerys workers. The famous Dublin department store was closed without notice when the company was solid and liquidators brought in – the loyal workforce was locked out and made redundant.

To sign the petition visit  http://clerysworkers.nationbuilder.com/

UNI Commerce’s Head of Commerce, Alke Boessiger said, “UNI’s 20 million members stand in solidarity with SIPTU and the Clerys workers who have been treated so despicably. All UNI affiliates and activists please sign this petition today. This is a prime example of the race to the bottom and we must fight tooth and nail to seek justice for these victims of corporate greed.”

On Friday, 12th June, the curtain came down on over 160 years of retail history in Dublin and a nightmare began for 430 workers. That day a consortium of property speculators purchased Clerys department store, the oldest business of its kind in Ireland, and immediately moved to close it down. At 6.00 p.m. that evening, workers, who had not already gone home, were told by court appointed liquidators their jobs were gone and they had 30 minutes to leave the building. As they left security guards drafted in by the new owners placed padlocks on the doors. Since then the consortium, Natrium, which now owns the store but has liquidated the company that ran it, has refused to meet the workers or make any comment.

The 130 directly employed workers have had to turn to a State funded redundancy scheme to secure the monies owed to them. 

The plight of the Clerys workers has gripped the attention of an Irish public sickened by the sight of loyal workers, many with decades of service, forced out of their jobs by a company whose sole interest is property, not people.

To support the workers' fight for justice, sign the petition demanding the new owners of Clerys meet the workers. http://clerysworkers.nationbuilder.com/

In response to an overwhelming public demand SIPTU has launched an online petition for people in Ireland and abroad who wish to show their support for the Clerys workers demand that the store’s new owners meet them.

SIPTU Campaigns and Equality Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said, “SIPTU launched a written petition on Tuesday, 16th June. Within 24 hours it had received over 5,000 signatures such is the level of public anger at the way these workers have been treated. People are shocked and sickened that the new owners of Clerys felt it was going to be accepted that they could just take the company over, liquidate it and throw loyal workers on the street with nothing.”

She added, “The petition makes a simple demand, that the new owners of Clerys meet the workers. At this meeting the workers will discuss face to face with them what they could do to go someway in making up for the hurt they have caused when putting into action this heartless scheme.

“The petition is also open to the many workers and activists from other countries who have been in touch wishing to express their support for the workers. Feelings are running so high about the way the Clerys workers have been treated that protests are expected in the coming days in the US and UK. These will target people involved in this deal which made them millions but left hundreds of loyal workers without jobs or the monies owed to them.”

To sign the petition visit  http://clerysworkers.nationbuilder.com/