Speaking following news that the Greyhound SIPTU members voted by a substantial majority to end a 14-week long lockout at the company following an agreement, Labour Youth National Chairperson, Ciarán Garrett, has welcomed the outcome.

“I want to first of all, on behalf of Labour Youth, congratulate the workers, their families and their union, SIPTU, for their amazing display of courage and solidarity in opposing their employers’ unreasonable demands to changes in pay and work conditions. To witness such unity and resolve among workers and their trade union officials was inspirational.”

“Labour Youth members were proud to stand with the locked out workers. We joined the men and their families on the picket line and in marches and demonstrations across the capital. We attended the SIPTU-organised public meetings, distributed leaflets and helped raise awareness of the disgraceful position that the workers were forced into. We also held a fundraiser in order to assist the locked out workers’ solidarity fund. We worked with Labour Party councillors in Dublin in seeing that motions in support of the workers were passed by the local councils. We are proud to have been part of a coalition of workers, their families, their union and supporters from across the left.”

“No worker in Ireland should be forced to accept unilateral pay cuts of 35% demanded by management without negotiation. Had these workers not been members of a trade union, the sad reality is that they may well have had no option other than to accept such demands. But they did not accept the demands. They stood up and made their voices heard. For fourteen long weeks, they stood up for their rights, and the rights of every worker in Ireland, and fought back.”

“On behalf of the Labour Youth National Executive, I want to commend the workers; their shop steward Jesse Hughes, SIPTU’s Stephen Lewis and Owen Reidy and the rest of the union, the Labour Party TDs and councillors in Dublin, members of Labour Youth, and everyone who joined the Justice for the Greyhound Workers Campaign. While not forgetting how disgraceful it is that this dispute even happened in the first place, the end of the lockout and agreement between the unionised workers and the management of Greyhound provides inspiration to all of us who seek better rights and conditions for workers.”

“I also want to welcome recent comments by the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly T.D., in stating his intention to ensure better regulation of the waste disposal industry for the future. This is well overdue and should see progress as an immediate concern.”

ENDS

For more information, contact Ciarán Garrett on 085 744 3043