An Injury to One....

Sacked Shop Steward receives letter of reinstatement after campaign of solidarity pickets

Dunnes Stores have 87 outlets in the Republic of ireland. When they sacked a 22 year old shop steward from their Ashleaf store, the decision of one manager in relation to one worker seemed small beans. But three months after Joanne Delaney was first suspended and then sacked for wearing her union pin the campaign supporting her has placed pickets on more than twenty of these stores to date and grows week by week.

On Friday 24th of February, at the picket of the Ashleaf centre the company gave Joanne a letter saying that she should turn up on Monday morning at 8.45 and she would be rostered on.There was no mention of a uniform policy but Joanne will of course be wearing her union badge and the campaign, support group and wider labour movement is waiting to see if the companies capitulation is complete. In the last week Dunnes outlets as far away as Belfast and Cork as well as North Earl Street, Maynooth, Grafton Street , Donaghmede and the Ashleaf branches have seen pickets. The cross party support has included a Sinn Fein day of action today, Saturday the 25th along with solidarity and actions from a wide range of groups.

Standing on the pickets in the Ashleaf centre you were struck by the reaction of shoppers to this most collective action. The first reaction of many when seeing the stickers and clipboards for the support petition were that this was another charity.... “I'll get you on the way out”.”I've no change at the moment”. When you gave the pitch, said you weren't looking for money but were seeking support and solidarity for a 22 year old girl who lost her job because she was publicly a trade unionist the reaction was much stronger.

There were people who opposed trade unions, said no, sorry, they wouldn't support that. They were in the minority. The majority wore the badge, signed the petition, went and gave out to Dunnes management grief about their actions. When people talk about a united left they sometimes miss the point , focus on the differences. There are core principles that we can join together and defend, just because they are logical and obvious and right, even if right now they seem to be under attack. This struggle was too basic to do anything other than organise support and this was done by many on the left both nationally and internationally.

The labour movement is broad and diverse and decentralised so it is only right it moves slowly. Only now are the motions being heard, but calls for a national wear your badge to work day were being debated and heard and the gear shifts and momentum gathering could be felt. The four weeks of information pickets bfore a debate of a boycott call which had been set by the support group were coming to an end. The international campaign was generating thousands of emails which must have weighed on the minds of the Dunnes Stores management, summoning up images of the 80's when they were one of the bete noires of the international Labour and Anti-Apartheid movements.

If Dunnes are concerned it is because they understand the power of the people they rely on – those who shop in and work in their stores. Next Monday when Joanne Delaney wears her union badge into the Ashleaf shopping centre to report for work, she will know that around her, behind her and with her there are loads of people who understand

An injury to one is an injury to all