Thomas Cook workers arrested by Irish police
PROTESTS IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
25 people including 16 workers sacked by Thomas Cook at their Grafton Street store in Dublin were arrested this morning (Tuesday 4th August) after defying an court order which was granted when they occupied the shop on Saturday. Dozens of Gardai broke into the store by smashing the window and arrested the occupiers. Those arrested included Socialist Party Councillor, Matthew Waine and an eight and a half month pregnant woman who gave birth to her daughter after being taken to hospital following her arrest.
The workers and supporters arrested appeared at Dublin’s Four Courts this afternoon (Tuesday) where hundreds of supporters rallied outside the court. The judge released them all accepting they had purged their contempt, while also commenting that he “cannot permit the law to be broken, as that would be a recipe for anarchy.”
Protests were held in Dundee (see photo on right), Glasgow and Belfast in solidarity with the workers arrested.
From Saturday, over 40 workers have been occupying the Thomas Cook store on Grafton St. , protesting against job losses and claiming for improved redundancies. At approximately 5am over 80 Gardai began to force entry into the occupied Thomas Cook store on Grafton Street , after physically removing over 30 supporters from in front of the premises. Gardai smashed the glass of the front window of the store in order to gain entry. Workers were removed one by one from the building, including a woman who is eight and a half months pregnant.
Cllr Matthew Waine of the Socialist Party and Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit were occupying the building in support of the workers and have also been arrested.
Cllr Matthew Waine of the Socialist Party said: “It is an absolute disgrace that the state have moved to protect the interests of the profiteering multinantional, Thomas Cook by doing their dirty work. These brave workers have taken a stand, not only for their own rights, but also in the interests of the mass of working people in this country who are getting it in the neck from the government and the employers. I appeal to all workers and unemployed to assemble at 1pm outside the courts in support of these workers.”
The workers are fighting for decent redundancy terms while in contrast, Thomas Cook boss, Manny Fontenla-Novoa made a bonus of £7 million last year for his job culling approach – the Irish government have shown clearly yet again they’re shamelessly on the side of the bankers and millionaires”.
For further details see the CWI and Socialist Party ( Ireland ) http://www.socialistparty.net websites.
