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 Wednesday February 08, 2006 23:13 by seedot
 Report on meeting to found support group for Joanne Delaney 
Joanne Delaney - Dunnes' Union Nemesis?
At a meeting in Crumlin Village Tuesday evening (Feb 7th 2006), about 60 local activists and residents agreed to form a support group for Joanne Delaney, sacked by Dunnes Stores for wearing a trade union pin, last October. They also agreed to place a weekly picket on Dunnes Stores in the Ashleaf Centre starting next Saturday at 12 noon. An image of Joanne Delaney was one of the last pictures on the top of the newswire of this site before the layout changed. She was a Mandate worker representative in Dunnes in Ashleaf in Crumlin last October when she was fired for wearing her union pin. An Irish owned retailer, Dunnes was famously involved in a pay off in 1997 to a Taoiseach (Haughey) and a minister (Lowry) leading to the wonder of Tribunal land. It achieved international notoriety in the 1980's as 11 workers stood firm for nearly three years over a Mandate member who was suspended for refusing to handle South African fruit during apartheid. It is heavily involved in both retailing and land deals around Dublin 12, both in the Ashleaf centre where Joanne worked and in the Crumlin and other shopping centres in the area. In January Joanne's case was taken up by labourstart.org, an international trade union website which made its reputation during the dockers and other disputes in the 1990's. Dunnes management have received 5,200 emails of solidarity with Joanne as of Tuesday evening, according to Brendan Archibald from Mandate, who addressed the meeting in Crumlin tonight. The meeting had been called by the Community Workers Action group and there were contributions from the floor from the SP, SWP, WP and Labour activists along with speakers who identified themselves as being from ATGWU, SIPTU, MANDATE, and NBRU. But more importantly there was an understanding that this struggle was going to have to happen in Crumlin, at Joanne's place of work. She is demanding reinstatement and has cases of unfair dismissal and other support from her union. The meeting was divided into two sections. Firstly Joanne gave the details of the case and Brendan spoke of the work done to date. There was mention of pickets that had taken place organised by groups in Dublin and Belfast, about questions in parliament and the Dail. The Dublin Council of Trade Unions and the City Council are due to discuss the sacking. Contributions from the floor were often angry, with many local people feeling it had taken a long time for this to become an issue in the area, whatever about media and international exposure. The Industrial Relations Act, Social Partnership and Dunnes management all got attacked as a range of groups and individuals intervened to express solidarity. The second section was focussed on the founding of a support group and the agreement on an initial action by placing a picket on the shop in question. This is made more difficult by the large number of entrances to the centre, including through the carpark and the lack of a doorway onto a public street from the shop itself. It was agreed that rather than a rota over a longer period it would be more effective if a larger number picketed and were willing to move around a bit. People are due to meet at 12 at the Ashleaf Shopping Centre next Saturday 11th February 2006. Labour Youth also have a picket called for Friday afternoon, 1.45 at the shopping centre [time corrected - ed] and Organise! have a picket at 1 pm at the Park Centre in Belfast. The mechanics of the suppport group filled the end of the meeting with a collection and sign up sheet circulated. Then Pat Dunne, from CWAG who had chaired the meeting, spoke a bit on the importance of the dispute and shared a Woodie Guthrie song he felt appropriate. When union density is falling (its only 40% in Joannes workplace) it's important to be proud of our trade unionism, it's history and symbols. UNION MAID - By Woodie Guthrie There once was a union maid, who never was afraid Of goons and ginks and company finks and the deputy sherriff who made the raids She went to the Union hall, When a meeting it was called, And when the company boys came round, she always stood her ground Chorus Oh, you can't scare me, I'm stickin to the Union, I'm stickin to the Union, I'm stickin to the Union, Oh, you can't scare me, I'm stickin to the Union Till the day I die This union maid was wise To the tricks of the company spies She'd never be fooled by the company stolls She'd always organize the guys She'd always get her way When she struck for higher pay She'd show her card to the National Guard and this is what she'd say... You women who want to be free Take a little tip from me break outa that mold we've all been sold, you got a fighting history The fight for women's rights, with workers must unite Like Mother Jones, move those bones to the front of every fight. A woman's struggle is hard, Even with a union card, She's got to stand on her own two feet And not be a servant of a male elite. It's time to take a stand, Keep working hand in hand, There is a job that's got to be done Related links:
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Comments (25 of 25)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25Labour Youth and local Councillor Eric Byrne are organising a demonstration in support of Joanne outside the Ashleaf at 1.45 pm this Friday, not 2.15 as stated above.
Thanks to seedot for an excellent report. There was a great sense of solidarity at tonight's meeting and the kind of solid numbers, broad left representation and practical yet radical tactics that will be required to defeat Dunnes.
The third verse there isn't Guthrie but by Nancy Katz
Oh, and just as the popularly sung versions of "Red Wing" had different (ruder) words than as originally written that's true of "Union Maid" also
sorry about the mix up Dermot - the time is corrected now.
Mike, I went looking for the song when I got home and found a couple of versions - not attributed to different people. I couldn't remember the one Pat had done, so picked what seemed the stronger version. This is the other third verse I found.
You gals who want to be free, just take a tip from me,
Get you a man who's a union man
and join the ladies' auxiliary.
Married life ain't hard when you got a union card,
A union man has a happy life when he's got a union wife.
Organise! in Belfast have organised a picket outside Dunnes in the Park Centre in Belfast for this Friday at 1pm.
Hi,
having recently moved to Crumlin and remembering my sister picketing Dunne's many, many years ago i'd like to find out more info and maybe get more involved or lend support. Can anyone provide contact info for the support group?
Or should I just go along on Saturday at 12? Is Ashleaf the one with Tesco's and Hector Grey's in it and all the boarded up shops?
post to this comments list
Ciaran
I'm crap at hanging around at the end of a meeting to make arrangements - always too desperate to have a cigarette so i don't know the exact arrangments but:
Joan Collins number is public 086 388 81 51 so she can tell anyone where it is but the Ashleaf shopping centre is the other end of Crumlin from the one you're talking about.
Thats the Crumlin shopping centre which is owned by Dunnes and they are in the process of clearing out the retailers and doing something apartmenty and celtic tigery. All the people who live there only need a spar anyway and can drive if they want anything else. Not sure of dates for closure and what will be left when the rest of our local shops are boarded up, Ciaran.
The Ashleaf is up by the Submarine Bar which has this nice page of directions on the interweb
http://www.thesubmarine.ie/contact_us/.
If you are coming up the Crumlin road with your back to the Canal you take a left at the Star bingo Hall (ex Roller Disco?) and continue straight on that road it gets you there.
Buses 150,19a,18 and 17.
turning up there around 12 should see you right.
Curious about union in this action, re advice and support,
is there a possibility of intervention or taking constructive
dismissal?
A lot may have changed since I faced the bogeys but
SIPTU were there all the way for me, through a 9 year
court action against the State.
presumption, then that support is there, though presumption
can be the mother of all fuck-ups.Good luck, C
I can't make it out to Crumlin for these meeting but am very interested in doing anything that I can to help. The one thing I don't understand is why Mandate haven't pulled out the workers in that store? How come they haven't?
Brendan Archibald spoke at the meeting and Joanne was quite definite in praising the support she has received from the union despite criticisms from the floor of the meeting. They do have a case of unfair dismissal before an employment appeals tribunal and have done a lot of publicity work up to now.
There was a lot of discussion around the Industrial Relations Act and it's requirement that a dispute that involves one worker goes thorugh the IR apparatus. Also mentioned was the fact that Dunnes could sue both the union and Joanne (not sure of this last bit) given the excuse and that they would be more than happy to, to deflect attention from their own behaviour.
Cheers for that info seedot. Good luck to all involved in the campaign.
Many thanks for the article and follow up comments Seedot. Will try and make it up there for around 12 on Saturday.
This is a classic example of capitalist exploitation. As with the Rosslare Five this needs to be fully exposed and is totally winnable. I hope everyone will throw their weight in behind this.
Was listening to Ben Dunne (now retired from Dunnes Stores) being interviewed the other morning. Whatever your opinions about him, he was totally against this dismissal and called it a disgrace. He cited it as yet just another example of how management in Dunnes are totally out of touch with their workers.
Dunnes are losing ground to Tesco big time at the moment. If people get behind this it will raise very much unneeded adverse publicity for them. This issue is bound to strike a cord with the common folk who shop in Dunnes. This issue is totally winnable.
LET’S GET BEHIND THIS!!!!
Keep building the momentum!
WE ARE HAVING AN IMPACT! D
Are there any fliers about this available online that one could print off etc.
Perhaps someone could upload a pdf of something?
Brief statement on support group
Thanks to seedot for above report. The Community and Workers Action Group hosted the Crumlin meeting as we have a good support base in the areas immediately surrounding the Ashleaf centre. As stated above it was agreed that a broad based support group, hereafter to known as The Joanne Delaney Support Group would be the most effective way of supporting Joanne.
The people who volunteered to organise the support group include Joanne herself (she has ownership of the group) members of her family, local residents, trade unionists and a very broad representation of left groups. After the support group formally meets it should be in a position to setup e-mail and web contacts from which PDF leaflets etc can be distributed.
The first task facing the support group is to win over public support for Joanne. Displays of solidarity from the public should increase the confidence of Joanne’s fellow workers within the store and also increase the pressure on the management. To achieve this an information picket will take place on the Ashleaf SC this Saturday from 12noon to 4pm and thereafter for the following three Saturdays. Leaflets, posters and badges will be supplied by the support group and made available for distribution. It was agreed at the meeting that rather than have individual left groups displaying party posters and using their own literature that using support group material would have a far greater impact. However home made posters would be very welcome.
A full statement will issued by the Joanne Delaney Support Group after it formally meets.
The CWAG statement I presume was written by Dermot Connolly or Joan Collins basically says that left parties etc cannot use their own material, placards or banners on the Joanne Delaney activity. Are you for real! If anyone had said this to Dermot Connolly when he was in the Socialist Party he would have told them to f**K off. Maybe its because he no longer has a paper, banner, or placards etc that he supports this idea now. I would call on all political parties groups etc who are going to the protest to make a point of bringing your own banners, placards and leaflets and let Dunnes and the public know that Joanne has the support of parties and organisations, and don't let CWAG try and impose the type of tactics normally attempted by the union bureaucrats.
The CWAG statement was not issued by Dermot or Joan. CWAG has elected officers and neither D.C. or J.C. hold positions. We will not engage in point scoring or negative dialogue nor discuss our internal structures on this thread.
To clarify nowhere in our statement did we suggest that party banners etc. should not be used on Joanne Delaney activities. However we did state that there was an understanding at the Crumlin meeting that for tactical reasons the best way to build popular support for Joanne’s case at the Ashleaf was to have a unified front under the auspices of the Joanne Delaney Support Group. This is the wish of Joanne herself and all her support her locally.
There will be many other opportunities and venues for party politicals to display their emblems during this campaign.
All future statements will be issued by the Joanne Delaney Support Group after it formally meets.
" I would call on all political parties groups etc who are going to the protest to make a point of bringing your own banners, placards and leaflets"
TRANSLATION: you would rather ignore the wishes of the woman around whom this campaign has been organised so you can promote your own organisation, which you consider far more important than building up the strength of the workers' movement as a whole.
Jesus christ, you'd think people could ditch those kind of attitudes for a few days when there's something as clear cut and important as this. Couldn't you?
The post from 'Banners required' is a graphic illustration of sectarianism. (In the classic Marxist sense). Now I wonder what party that person was from.
No bickering now please. Everyone to Dunnes for 12 O’clock on Saturday!!
Let's do this for Joanne's incredibly brave stance and for all workers who are treated cruelly under this capitalist system that we all live under. We can totally win this if we stand and work together.
sell healthty food sourced from organic growers outside ;-)
During the aldi strike when dermot was still heavily involved the sp never brought our own banners, the workers didn't want banners at their picket so we didn't bring any. The socialist party has always behaved this way and dermot argued this way before he left the party. And theres never been contraversy about this because it's plain common sense and respect for striking workers. I can only presume the comrade complaining is a more recent recruit. best of luck to everyone in crumlin.
Thanks to seedot for the the directions, i'm up the kildare road/clogher road end of Crumlin so I know where the bingo hall is. I'll endevor to be there on saturday at 12.
As far as party political banners go, though i try to stay away from the world of cliche leftie in-fighting for my own sanity, i do think you should consider the opinion of the person at the centre of the protest about how to proceed. i'm tired of certain (and there are more then one so no naming games here please) groups jumping on any platform as a method to advance their agenda over the cause directly at hand. It is counter-productive in involving people in the long term in political activism. Well it is for me at the very least...
This whole issue just shows how spineless and useless the unions are today. This poor girl is depending on a support group of ordinary people to help her. Best of luck to all. This is definitely winnable if people are determined.
And so it spreads.........see details of a protest being organised in Belfast (off the Donegal rd.) on this site:-
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74134
Also a good article accompayning this event notice which incluses things we can do to support the re-instatement of Joanne:-
Support this picket and others or organise a picket outside your local dunnes store
Get your union branch to pass a motion in support of Joanne Delaney
Send a message to Dunnes Stores management
Or alternatively pay a visit to the current management in Dunnes in your local Dunnes store to express your disgust at the action taken by the company and in support of Joanne Delaney. You can also send a message to Dunnes management at: frank.dunne@dunnesstores.com or info@dunnesstores.com
To send a standard protest letter to Dunnes management join the online campaign at Labourstart (where more information can be obtained about the dispute) at: http://www.labourstart.org
AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!
ORGANISE! P.O. Box 505, Belfast, BT12 6BQ.
Email; organiseireland@yahoo.ie
"oh the ladies auxillary is a goood auxillary
it's the best auxillary that you ever did see
if you need an auxillary
see the ladies auxillary
it's the ladies' auxillary
I ain't a knockin on our women
i love them as much as you
but womens mighty funny
and we all know that is true
riding on the subway or walking on the street
these things our women wear for hats have really got me beat
Some wind around like serpents
some look like ice-cream cones
some like flower gardens that blossom on their domes
some like grocery baskets some look like rat traps
and you cant tell if their going out or just a' comin back
one may have a feather ten feet in the sky
fifteen yards o' fishin net that falls down in her eyes
we love our women tenderly an weakness we all got that
but you could sell a woman anything if you tell her its a hat"