Mattie McGrath: Defends Workers After 100-Day Picket
Mattie McGrath spoke from Tipperary in solidarity with Dublin workers, condemning the treatment of ordinary employees and urging colleagues to vote down the motion. He called for legal measures to stop asset stripping after companies moved funds and left staff on a 100-day picket line.
Solidarity with Dublin workers
McGrath said he stood with the Dublin workers and with Deputy O'Donohue from Limerick, urging support for employees who have spent 100 days on the picket line. He described the situation as "truly shocking" and insisted that a fair day's pay for a fair day's work must be the guiding principle.
Concerns about asset movement and banking
He highlighted instances where money has been transferred out of accounts and companies no longer banked locally, saying this undermines workers' rights. McGrath warned against the stripping and moving of assets and urged action to prevent firms from placing funds beyond reach.
Accountancy firms and financial links criticised
McGrath criticised major accountancy firms and financial houses for their role during the financial crash and ongoing corporate practices, stating they have benefited while ordinary workers suffer. He contrasted some local SMEs and co-ops with large corporates such as Debenins, which he said did not treat workers well.
Calls for legislation and worker respect
He urged the minister and colleagues to introduce decent legislation to protect workers and to challenge big business influence, referencing recent debates on the credit guarantee bill and bank behaviour. McGrath stressed that governments must respect the rights of the ordinary man and woman and ensure companies cannot evade responsibility.
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I'm here tonight from Tipperary, we don't have a Dublin in store, but we stand in solidarity with the Dublin workers, and I have been saying this, and many times we agree with solidarity here, vote down in motion tonight, and I support them. It is just truly shocking, the way ordinary workers are treated. A fair day's pay for a fair day's work should be the motto, and more small SMEs, and we were talking about last night trying to help with the credit guarantee bill, and to tonight, do look after the workers, and the workers respect them, and vice versa, respect it has to be for workers, and you must support them, and you cannot have companies like Debenins, and many, many more, big condomerates, and some of them are homegrown, and they're not English like Debenins, and some of them are flagship co-ops and all, and they don't treat their workers that well either, but this situation here of Debenins cannot be allowed, and I stand with the Deputy O'Donohue there from Limerick, and we stand with these workers, and ask people to support the workers, 100 days on the picket line, money can be transferred out of accounts, and that's why you don't like some of the big supermarkets too, they don't even bank the money here, but at least Debenins had bank accounts here, but now they haven't, but Minister, we must do something here with legislation to try and stop this moving of assets, stripping of assets, where are the accountancy firms here, how are they standing over it, and they're not any ordinary accountancy firms that we find in any rural town, they're some of the biggest and brightest, and they've been here right through the financial crash, and they've been supporting, and they've been benefiting from, the financial houses, they've been benefiting from work for Nairma, and every side of Nairma, and here we are, and they don't walk on the ordinary people, the ordinary man or woman for the day's work must be respected, and the people must vote with their feet now, and ask our friends and colleagues, we have many of them in England, many of them, we all have family in England, to ensure that this doesn't happen, that they don't blackguard workers like this, but where worse, our governments, and successive governments here, are in hock, have been in bed with big business, and are in bed with big business, and won't challenge big business, and that is wrong, and we had it with the banks, the money last night, going down to the banks again, the Peel of Banks were not functioning, so we must have decent legislation, that respects the rights of workers, as I said, a fair day when I started, a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, God margut.
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