Gino Kenny praises Debenhams strikers, urges Bank of Ireland action
Gino Kenny addressed the Dáil on the Debenhams dispute, praising workers who have been on strike for over 105 days and urging action on fair redundancies. He urged the minister to press the Bank of Ireland, which holds a 14% share in Debenhams, to meet its obligations to staff.
Tribute to Debenhams workers
Gino Kenny commended the Debenhams workers for their solidarity and determination, noting they have been on strike for over 105 days and on the "Pick a Lion" since April. He described their 14 to 15 weeks of action as inspiring to supporters of the trade union movement and emblematic of working-class solidarity.
Demand for fair redundancy
Kenny emphasised that the core issue is a fair redundancy settlement, highlighting that some workers have served Debenhams for over 25 years. He said those long-serving employees would feel "very aggrieved" at how they have been treated and argued the workers deserve a decent settlement.
Bank of Ireland and government accountability
Kenny pointed out that Bank of Ireland holds a 14% share in Debenhams and argued the bank has an obligation to the workers. He reminded members that the government bailed out the banks in 2008 with 4.6 billion euros and called on the minister, as a member of government, to call in bank representatives to ask about their responsibilities.
Parliamentary context and the motion
Kenny criticised the lack of redundancy-protection legislation despite the Dáil's role in passing worker protections, saying that failure to act leaves a "bitter taste". He urged colleagues to pass the motion to send a message of support to the Debenhams workers and expressed confidence that the workers "will win."
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Hi, Darren Malcolm, Cian Comhairle. Minister, first of all, I'd like to commend the Debenhams workers. They've been on strike for over 105 days through very, very, very difficult circumstances in relation to a public health emergency. And anybody that has visited Pick a Lion is inspired and amazed by their determination over them 14, 15 weeks. It's been a very, very difficult time, but their solidarity and support for each other is inspiring for anybody that, you know, supports trade union movement. And it's everything that's good about working class people. You know, standing together, shoulder to shoulder when you're up against it. You know, and remember, Minister, these workers, essentially what they're fighting for is a fair redundancy. Some of the workers have been working in Debenhams for over 25 years. And can you imagine how you would feel after working so long for an employer and after 25 years being treated like that? You'd feel very aggrieved. Very, very aggrieved. And that's why they're being on the Pick a Lion since April. And they will win. They will win. And Minister, you know, we, the Dáil is kind of a, almost like a bubble. It passes legislation to, it says protect workers and so forth. But in 2008, in one night, the banks were completely guaranteed by all, for all its debts. In one night. Yet, legislation that could protect workers in redundancy such as Debenhams has never been passed. And that's leaving a very, very bitter taste in people's mouths. And the ironic thing about it is that the Bank of Ireland have 14% share in Debenhams. So they have an obligation to the workers to have a decent settlement and a decent redundancy. So Minister, what I'll say to you is, as a member of the government, you should call in members of the Bank, the Bank of Ireland, and ask them, what is their obligation to the Debenhams workers? You have the power to do that. Because remember, the government in 2008 bailed them out by 4.6 billion. And I'll repeat that figure again. 4.6 billion euros. It's incredible amount of money. Absolute incredible. Taxpayers in this country have been on the line for that money. Yet, workers are screwed every time they try to stand up to their employers. So the Debenhams workers are an inspiration to not only the trade union movement, to the working class movement. And it's up to us to pass this motion today to send a message to them workers that they can and will win. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
