Bríd Smith Backs Iceland and Kulak Workers, Demands Minister Meet
Bríd Smith spoke in the chamber expressing full solidarity with workers at Iceland and Kulak who occupied their store after closures and disputes over wages. She criticised the new owner’s responses, noted recent strikes and a "pick-off" effect of store closures, and pressed the minister to meet the locked-out workers.
Solidarity with workers
She expressed full support for workers in Iceland and Kulak who entered and occupied a store, emphasising the impact on families and staff and noting the chain employs 344 people in the State.
Allegations against the owner
She detailed that two north side stores had recently gone on strike to secure monies and wages owed and quoted the new owner as saying he was not the employees' employer.
Request to the minister
She asked the minister to show the same respect to meet the locked-out workers as was shown in meetings with the employer, and urged investigation into opaque operations and the risk of a repeat Devonan-style closure.
Government response
The minister replied expressing concern and support for affected workers, noting a court-appointed examiner is assessing the company's viability, stressing employers' legal obligations, and pointing to the Workplace Relations Commission as the means to protect workers' rights and entitlements under the law.
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The Taoiseach, I want to start by saying we want to express our full solidarity and support for the workers in Iceland and Kulak who have just gone in this morning and occupied their store. Minister Neel Richmond met, I think the name is Naeem Mannanar, the new owner of the Iceland chain of stores in this country which employs 344 people. We are now seeing a pick-off effect of stores being closed and as it happens to the two stores on the north side, both the north side shopping centre and Kulak, were two stores that went on strike recently to try and secure monies and wages that were owed to them by this individual. who then went on to say to them, I am not your employer, just to clarify, you are employed by a company called Iceland, be very clear, I am not your employer. But your office, Minister Khovany, met with this individual recently and I would like to ask you, will you express solidarity with those workers who are locked out of their jobs today and will you meet them like you have given the respect to meet the employer? Will you go and meet them and find out what myriad of opaque operations are going to be put in place and repeat a Devonan-style closure? Thank you. In fairness to your colleagues, please. Minister. First of all, thanks for raising the issue, Deputy. I do want to express concern and support for the many Iceland workers and their families who are being impacted today and over the last number of days. This is a company that has had a court-appointed examiner to assess the viability of the future of the company and to put a support and rescue package in place for that company if it is possible to do that. There are, of course, legal obligations on employers towards workers that need to be applied here. If they are not being applied, workers have a right to go to the Workplace Relations Commission and that State infrastructure will ensure that people's legal rights are protected in terms of the obligations that employers have towards workers. And that is certainly the case here. And we will certainly follow this ongoing story which is certainly not welcome from a retail perspective to make sure that workers are given their full protections and entitlements under the law. Thank you, Pastor Marcus. Ms. Sorry, I will. Thank you. Hello, my friends. Our minister has been szedmom chief. Thank you, Congressman. TamaraЗ
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