Former Clerys workers protested outside the department store on O’Connell Street, Dublin, at lunchtime today (Thursday, 20th August), to highlight the failure of its new owners to meet them in the 10 weeks since they took over the business. Former Clerys worker and SIPTU shop steward, Gerry Markey, said: “We are asking Deirdre Foley and the other new owners to meet us face-to-face. My colleagues and I think that after our many years of loyal service to the company we deserve to be treated with respect.”He added: “The new owners took this store over on 12th June and then they immediately ended its proud 150-year history. The sudden closure of the store made 130 people jobless that day and in the weeks since several hundred workers for concession holders in Clerys have also lost their jobs.“We have now maintained this campaign for 10 weeks. We will not stop until the new owners meet us and treat us with the respect we deserve."SIPTU Organiser, Robert Purfield, said: “Natrium, the consortium which bought Clerys, need to get the message that the workers’ campaign will not end until they have secured justice. In the coming weeks the campaign will continue and intensify.”A petition, written and online, in support of the workers' call to meet the new owners has already received over 18,000 signatures.
Clerys workers hold protest to mark 10 weeks of silence from new owners
