Ex-Debenhams workers physically removed from sit-down blockade at Blanchardstown store

Padraig Conlon 01 Apr 2021

Ex Debenham’s workers staged a protest at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre over night.

They were attempting to prevent the removal of stock from a Debenhams store as part of their year-long campaign for a decent redundancy package.

Just before 5am Gardai physically removed the ex workers and supporters from a sit-down blockade.

Three trucks had been prevented from removing stock during a four and a half hour standoff before the Garda intervention.

In a statement, the ex-workers said:

“Just before 5am this morning at Blanchardstown, after a four and a half hour stand-off, the Gardaí forcibly removed former Debenhams workers and supporters from the path of trucks that were permitted, under level 5 restrictions, to load up the stock in the store and remove it.

“This has occurred just over a week short of the first anniversary of our struggle.

“From the outset of the second wave level 5 lockdown last year we and supportive public representatives repeatedly asked the Taoiseach and Táiniste to explicitly state that the removal of clothing stock from the Debenhams stores was non essential economic activity.

“While it is patently obvious to most people that it is non-essential economic activity at odds with Level 5 we nonetheless felt unable to trust KPMG not to try take advantage of our reduced pickets during the lockdown to try remove stock.

“Neither the Taoiseach nor the Táiniste, a local TD in Blanchardstown by the way, ever took the opportunity to send a message to KPMG to not do what happened last night.

“Our mobilisation of former workers and supporters for a peaceful blockade was a proportionate and necessary response to the original wrong of KPMG hiring strike breaking labour to travel more than 5km to remove clothing stock.

“When the Gardaí arrived they should have told the strikebreakers to unload the trucks and go home.

“Instead they allowed them to continue and instead cited the injunction taken out by KPMG to the former Debenhams workers and the supporters including a TD and former TD for the area and then manhandled them out of the way.

“People up and down the country have rightly been outraged at the double standards of one rule for the wealthy and powerful and another for the rest of us during this pandemic the Beacon vaccination shenanigans being the latest. We say that what took place in the small hours of this morning is directly comparable.

“How many ordinary people including small business owners have we heard talk about the hardships they have had to endure for months by obeying the rules and here a liquidator gets an effective Garda escort for law breaking.

“We fully anticipate that they will attempt the same at other branches of Debenhams in the coming days and weeks obliging us and our supporters to again make a stand.”

Solidarity TD Mick Barry who was present for the entire standoff said: “This disputed stock should not be removed from Debenhams stores in the middle of a Level 5 lockdown. Nor should the Gardaí be assisting the removal of disputed stock from these stores at this time. The Taoiseach and the Tanaiste should clearly state that this is a breach of the regulations and make it very clear to liquidators KPMG that this activity should cease.”

Former Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger who was also present said: “What happened at the Beacon Hospital last week showed the reality of a two-tier society and this morning’s events in Blanchardstown show a similar double standard – one law for strikebreakers in breach of Level 5 guidelines and another entirely for trade unionists campaigning for a decent redundancy settlement.”

There are 11 Debenhams stores in the Republic of Ireland and workers have vowed to fight the removal of stock until such time as they have secured a redundancy settlement equivalent to that they had negotiated and agreed with their former employer.

Workers are also campaigning for legislation which will improve workers’ rights in a liquidation situation.

The one year anniversary of the Debenhsms dispute will take place next week on Friday April 9.

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