Thomas Cook Grafton Street store occupied by the workers

PrivateEye · 01-08-2009 1:52pm #1

Very interesting one. Apparently they've recieved messages of support from the workers involved in the Vestas occupation in the UK, and from workers still fighting for their pensions from Visteon. The unions won't be too impressed me thinks.

From my own point of view, full solidarity to them. My mother was by earlier on and said people are showing them fantastic support.If you're in town, swing by!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr3YoddMVak

short report from inside and the street outside thomas cooks yesterday when the staff ejected the managers!

The Thomas Cook offices at grafton st dublin are now under worker's control. Workers occupoed the building after management , who had flown in specially from the UK, announced the closure of the shops on north earl street and grafton st Dublin. The staff at the north earl st shop were told to close the store for an hour and to accompany managers to the grafton st store, they went upstairs and started laying out chairs to line the workers up and dismiss them. One of the workers who sensed what was coming shouted 'Lock In!' and, like electricity, word shot up through the other floors of the building.
The workers took the upper floors leaving management downstairs in the shop. Socialist Worker members arrived and, after speaking to a shop steward inside, we started distributing the worker's flyer about the dispute outside the shop to the public. We started chanting along with the workers who shouted along from the upper story windows 'I dont know what i been told..thomas cook aint got no soul!'. The response from the passers by was amazing, 'this is what this country needs',' they're right fair play to them'. Bin lorry drivers, Buses and Taxis continually beeped their horns and stopped to get more information.
A press photographer arrived and the workers assembled in the shop with management beside them looking uneasy, one of the pregnant workers was having her photo taken when the press officer for thomas cook management tried to block the shot, one of the union members threw the press officer out of the shop, soon to be followed by the other managers, who left in tears. They had never had to deal with workers fighting back.They expected submission. The workers and supporters outside began shouting, 'the workers united will never be defeated!'.
The very people who earlier that day had gathered the workers to dismiss them were left weeping into mobile phones and quietly asking could they have their bags back.

Go down and cheer the workers on today!

jumpguy · 01-08-2009 1:59pm

"The staff at the north earl st shop were told to close the store for an hour and to accompany managers to the grafton st store, they went upstairs and started laying out chairs to line the workers up and dismiss them."

Sounds like something in the wild west. Dismiss the workers...one-by-one...and do it slowly.

AnonoBoy · 01-08-2009 2:04pm

So I can go get a free spray tan in Arnott's today so I can go and look my best when I gawk at the sit-in protest.

A good day on Grafton Street alright.

Bandit12 · 01-08-2009 2:13pm

Get a job ya bum's

PrivateEye · 01-08-2009 2:13pm

So I can go get a free spray tan in Arnott's today so I can go and look my best when I gawk at the sit-in protest.

You made a funnies.

If you watch the video you'd see they actually appealed to other workers to go down and offer support, similar to what happened recently in Belfast at the Visteon plant. As a unionised worker, I've nothing but full support for somebody taking action like this at the minute and I'm sure people will be there for them if they carry this one out for a few days, as happened in Waterford.

Workers issues are one of the only places I've any faith in the 'goodness' of the Irish people (Irish Ferries, GAMA, Waterford Crystal come to mind....)

Alternatively, you could gawk in the windows :rolleyes:

Vanbis · 01-08-2009 2:13pm

Staff at Direct-Holidays on Talbot Street where forced into the same situation this morning when secuirty came into the shop and asked staff members for the keys which they have refused to hand over and are now forced to make a stand.

Thomas Cook and Direct-Holidays are the one company, Thomas cook bought out direct-holidays but they still trade under Direct. The staff at Direct have tried to get union Representation since they where informed of the reduncies but Thomas cook refuse to reconginse the union todate.

Its a disgraful way to treat staff memebers who have worked hard to line the company with sales worth millions each year. Thomas Cook made a massive profit last year.

IvySlayer · 01-08-2009 2:27pm

Thomas Cook workers were offered 5 weeks per year they worked there on top with a months bonus, fairly healthy redundancy package.

Ste.phen · 01-08-2009 3:23pm

IvySlayer wrote: »

Thomas Cook workers were offered 5 weeks per year they worked there on top with a months bonus, fairly healthy redundancy package.

Which makes me wonder what they hope to achieve in having a sit in protest? It's hardly going to encourage management to give them MORE money, is it?

hatetherain! · 01-08-2009 3:31pm

I heard on the news there were originally offered 8 weeks redundancy and were "sitting in" for more......no chance I'd say of an increase on 8

thomond2006 · 01-08-2009 3:45pm

The cheek of 'em!

:D:D:D

ronrar · 01-08-2009 3:50pm

It's a shame someone didn't push this annoying **** out the window.

http://tv3.ie/videos.php?video=11990&locID=1.2.141&date=2009-07-31&date_mode=1&page=1&show_cal=&newspanel=1&showspanel=&web_only=&full_episodes=

DonJose · 01-08-2009 3:53pm

Very insensitive on the managers part. If I were the manager I would have offered all the staff a free holiday, then locked up the office while they were on holiday

mp3guy · 01-08-2009 4:09pm

Ah, playing the old "If I sit here long enough money will come out of nowhere" card.

Nodin · 01-08-2009 4:14pm

mp3guy wrote: »

Ah, playing the old "If I sit here long enough money will come out of nowhere" card.

The top dog in Thomas Cook/Thomson was paid a 5 Million Sterling bonus in January. That would suggest that there is indeed money about, wouldn't it?

mikemac · 01-08-2009 4:21pm

Socialist Worker members arrived and, after speaking to a shop steward inside, we started distributing the worker's flyer about the dispute outside the shop to the public. We started chanting along with the workers

What exactly do the Socialist Workers Party have to do with this?

Are the staff all members? I doubt it

Would this be a party just jumping on an incident for some publicity?

mp3guy · 01-08-2009 4:29pm

Nodin wrote: »

The top dog in Thomas Cook/Thomson was paid a 5 Million Sterling bonus in January. That would suggest that there is indeed money about, wouldn't it?

Yeah, and communism isn't.

Whiskey Devil · 01-08-2009 4:29pm

Easy to jeer when you are not the one in that situation. Fair play to them.

Board Senseless · 01-08-2009 4:33pm

Easy to say fair play when you are not the one in that situation.

::jeers::

Nodin · 01-08-2009 4:58pm

mp3guy wrote: »

Yeah, and communism isn't.

And that remark has got what to do with this situation....?

Tom10 · 01-08-2009 5:08pm

mikemac wrote: »

What exactly do the Socialist Workers Party have to do with this?
Are the staff all members? I doubt it

Would this be a party just jumping on an incident for some publicity?

Well they would be supporting workers rights - kinda like what they do. :rolleyes:

donkey balls · 01-08-2009 5:14pm

a sit in thats nothing compared to the french strikers holding managers hostage and threatening to blow up there factory.

InkSlinger67 · 01-08-2009 5:16pm

I passed these guys earlier today, they're making quite a mess down there. Litter fines for all involved to add to their woes I say!

stovelid · 01-08-2009 5:31pm

Tragically, I predict strife by Monday.

A reformist tendency will spring up in the Foreign Exchange section and will be brutally repressed, Kronstadt-style, by the vanguardists in the Central Reservations area

homerjay2005 · 01-08-2009 5:35pm

their redundancy package is very very good.their company is leaving, they are loosing their jobs, so are 1000's of others each month. they are trying IMO, to force bad publicity on the company. very bad behaviour i think, but im sure others willl have their opinion.

the quote -"ireland needs more of this" is very disturbing.

mp3guy · 01-08-2009 5:38pm

Seems very childish. Thousands of other laid off workers understand the economy and took their leave with dignity, this is actually just embarrassing.

Nodin · 01-08-2009 6:03pm

mp3guy wrote: »

Seems very childish. Thousands of other laid off workers understand the economy .

Did their bosses get a 5 Million STG bonus in Jan?

BarryM3 · 01-08-2009 6:08pm

Nodin wrote: »

Did their bosses get a 5 Million STG bonus in Jan?

What has that got to do with anything?

They had a job, they got paid for doing it.

It obviously doesn't make financial sense for them to continue trading so they were made redundant, they were offered above and beyond what they are entitled to. Still not happy!!

Idiots....

WindSock · 01-08-2009 6:10pm

Takin a butchers hook at the drama at Thomas Cook.

dny123456 · 01-08-2009 6:12pm

5 weeks redundancy is pretty good to be honest... they should just take it. Statutory, is 2 weeks, with a cap of 600 a week.

From
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/employment/unemployment-and-redundancy/redundancy/redundancy-payments

I got four weeks last time i was made redundant and was pretty happy with it. Unrealistic greedy workers are going to end up with a lot less. Silly girls.

utick · 01-08-2009 6:38pm

i think thomas cook should keep to the offer of 5 weeks for workers who leave the building by monday morning and anyone who continues to stay just gets the basic legal 2 weeks. seriously i wonder how many of those complaining about 5 weeks redundancy have any idea how damaging that is to irelands reputation for future foreign companys looking to come here, and i bet a lot of these people want to blame everything on the government rather than looking at the harm they are causing themselves

andrew · 01-08-2009 6:40pm

I dispise people who pull of this sort of crap.

fitz0 · 01-08-2009 6:48pm

I say starve them out! Sure theres only a few packs of biscuits and some tea in there anyway. And then give them fuck all for being so awkward.

Ste.phen · 01-08-2009 6:52pm

fitz0 wrote: »

I say starve them out! Sure theres only a few packs of biscuits and some tea in there anyway. And then give them fuck all for being so awkward.

Most of them are probably entitled to 2 weeks, as per the law.
Then again, those that were criminally trespassing could probably be fired for serious misconduct

PrivateEye · 01-08-2009 6:56pm

fitz0 wrote: »

I say starve them out! Sure theres only a few packs of biscuits and some tea in there anyway. And then give them fuck all for being so awkward.

Spot on old chap!

DeVore · 01-08-2009 6:58pm

I've watched and read all of this and subsequent links and I'm still confused what exactly they are protesting about.... being let go?? Is that it?

What do they want to see happen... Thomas Cook being forced to employ them forever or do they have a suggestion?

DeV.

dny123456 · 01-08-2009 7:01pm

DeVore wrote: »

I've watched and read all of this and subsequent links and I'm still confused what exactly they are protesting about.... being let go?? Is that it?
DeV.

They just want more money... they think they are 'entitled'... because the company is making money still. Truth is, they are 'entitled' to 2 weeks per year, with a cap of 600. 1200 for for every year. Reminds me of that muppet from Fas with his 'entitled' to first class tickets!. This country needs to wake up.

thomond2006 · 01-08-2009 7:04pm

Just imagine if this happened in Iraq, lol!

Trampas · 01-08-2009 7:12pm

Part that annoyed me was the press highlighted that there are 2 pregnant women in the building.

What does it matter if there is 2 or 22 pregnant women in the building. Not as if they are been held against their wishes.

IvySlayer · 01-08-2009 7:28pm

They should leave. They lost their jobs, like so many people, they are nothing special in todays climate. As I stated, their packgae is healthy and they are just taking the piss at this stage.

They are living in fantasy land, the owners of Thomas Cook, who employed them, are closing down. There is nothing they can do. They can't force them to stay. Whatever happend to being the boss of a company? Nowadays you can't make a decisions about anything without the unions sticking their noses in.

If a supervisor wishes to change schedule, oh no, the union is not having it! You're fired? Oh noooo, can't have that! You only refused to do your job! (I refer to Dublin Bus)

I hope they lose. Badly.

Gummy Panda · 01-08-2009 7:36pm

I'm confused about the protest. Is it about how they were dismissed or the amount they're receiving?

If a company doesn't want to operate here anymore, there is nothing they can do.

Posy · 01-08-2009 8:32pm

Five weeks redundancy is fair enough, a lot of companies go bust and the staff are left waiting months for their statutory redundancy. They should be glad for what they're getting. It's not an ideal situation to find yourself in but it's happening to a lot of people at the moment and I don't know why they think they're so special.

Crackity Jones · 01-08-2009 8:47pm

Saw them on the news earlier all Freshly made up and looking rather relaxed...and how did the tv cameras get in there?? What kind of a lock in is that??

Mr Benevolent · 01-08-2009 8:49pm

5 weeks pay per year is 250% more than statute redundancy. They have nothing, not one thing, to complain about. Unions won't help. Protesting won't help, as they've gotten a far better deal than thousands of other redundant workers.

On a related topic, I'm writing a book about common sense. If this protest goes on long enough I'll give each of those idiots a copy. In fact, I'll give every AH frequenter a copy.

hatetherain! · 01-08-2009 9:07pm

They have now been served with a high court order ordering them to leave the building!

Pygmalion · 01-08-2009 9:22pm

Confab wrote: »

On a related topic, I'm writing a book about common sense. If this protest goes on long enough I'll give each of those idiots a copy. In fact, I'll give every AH frequenter a copy.

ETA of it's release? Want to know when I can start pestering you for it.

(Holy ****, did I just use the word "pestering"?)

the groutch · 01-08-2009 10:19pm

the sit-in was totally pointless, they were offered an incredibly generous redundancy package, and nothing they will do will get them a penny more, imo they should be only given statutory now after this attempted defamation

population · 03-08-2009 1:19pm

I was asked to sign a petition there yesterday supporting them. When I said no, I was practically hopped on by one of the lads protesting, shouting at me about how their top man got 4 million of a bonus.

I probably should have just walked away but I was pissed off and decided to have it out with him. The one thing that jumped out at me was how little this guy even knew about the issue. Whenever I made a point or asked him a significant qs he sort of panicked and said I should talk to the staff because, and I QUOTE "they'd know more about it".

Now if I was to affiliate myself to a cause I would make bloody sure I knew all the ins and outs before I spat vitriol all over someone for not signing a petition.

For the record I felt the staff were entitled to 6 weeks. Two weeks statuatory and 4 weeks for the stunt the company tried to pull by just shutting down without notice. They were owed a month in my eyes. 8 weeks however is taking the mickey

steo87 · 03-08-2009 3:10pm

Sitting in a building for days?

Don't these people have jobs to go to?

Mossy Monk · 03-08-2009 3:16pm

Why don't the Gardaí enter and arrest them for trespassing?

PrivateEye · 03-08-2009 4:33pm

Video of todays solidarity picket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svOFM0Q_UVw

Interesting to see the list of local businesses who have donated food and supplies to the workers, ranging from Dunnes Stores (Cause we all know they love a good strike :rolleyes:) to Burdocks Chipper, Superquinn to Vodafone. Fantastic to see.

A lot of people stuck around expecting the eviction of the workers, but truthfully I dont think it will even happen in daylight when they do it. The Thomas Cook workers are in great spirits and have the willpower to keep going.

Jesus Wept · 03-08-2009 4:43pm

I'm surprised that Thomas Cook was there as long as it was, there was rarely anyone in it.

PrivateEye wrote: »

Very interesting one.

It's really not.
It's just cringeworthy.

PrivateEye wrote: »

Interesting to see the list of local businesses who have donated food and supplies to the workers, ranging from Dunnes Stores (Cause we all know they love a good strike :rolleyes:) to Burdocks Chipper, Superquinn to Vodafone. Fantastic to see.

Why?

PrivateEye wrote: »

A lot of people stuck around expecting the eviction of the workers, but truthfully I dont think it will even happen in daylight when they do it. The Thomas Cook workers are in great spirits and have the willpower to keep going.

Leave them in there, they'll get bored eventually imo. That or forcefully evict them, gobshites.

Bin lorry drivers, Buses and Taxis continually beeped their horns and stopped to get more information.

So they have the support of the usual crowd that bring the city to a standstill, I'm convinced.

Thomas Cook Grafton Street store occupied by the workers

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