Pickets win re-instatement of migrant worker

Following three successful pickets of Delaney’s restaurant in Belfast Dasa Kacova has won all her demands and been offered her job back.

Submitted by Deezer on March 10, 2008

A young Slovakian worker was sacked on the spot from Delaney’s restaurant for asking why she had to remove her jumper at work on a cold January day. Delaney’s owners refused to meet with the worker or with her trade union representative. As a result pickets were organised by ICTU and the Belfast & District Trades Council and were supported by a wide range of trade union and political activists including members of Organise!

ICTU state that they will expose and challenge the mistreatment of workers and in particular migrant workers who are among the most vulnerable in our society. “It is unacceptable in this day and age that employers can still mistreat workers in this way”.

The pickets met with a very positive response from the public. Even the random sample of the public who have passed the picket have produced several first hand testimonies of Delaneys’ management’s mistreatment of workers going back for years. Two former Communication Workers’ Union members who now work at Delaney’s walked off the job to join the picket. One passing schoolgirl when told of the jumper incident remarked, “God, its just like being at school!”

On Saturday 8th of March someone turns up at the picket calling us “Commie bastards” and starts pushing his way through. At first everyone thought he knew someone on the picket and was having a laugh. It turned out to be Mr. Delaney himself. He then called the police. It turned out to be all hot air. After about an hour of negotiations he agreed to all of the workers demands to reinstate Dasa immediately, reimburse her for loss of earnings, pay her outstanding holiday entitlement and to treat all workers fairly.

Understandably she did not wish to return to work under him again and agreed to a full financial settlement.

Comments

Deezer

16 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Deezer on March 10, 2008

Yep I agree your comment is very silly. I will await a list along the lines of: "no mention of CPI involvement", "no mention of SP involvement" etc, etc.

What is very silly is you seeking to make an issue of this on the back of a pretty important piece of news.

Zazaban

16 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Zazaban on March 11, 2008

Excellent! Good that things turned out so well.

What I don't understand is how wanting basic rights makes one a 'bastard'

Choccy

16 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on March 11, 2008

Good stuff :)

Bobby

16 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Bobby on March 11, 2008

another small victory and confidence builder- the boss was very silly indeed

Choccy

16 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Choccy on March 11, 2008

"commie bastards" :)

Carousel

16 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Carousel on March 12, 2008

Good stuff. I ate at Delaney’s a few months back, as it happens. The supervisor must have been nuts, one can only assume they weren't aware of the employee's Union links. Was the employee a member? Is secondary picketing legal in Norn or was Mr Delaney worried about adverse publicity and retribution? Certainly a kick in the teeth for the “outside and against” brigade, unless they advocate jumperless working. Plus, that girl in the picture looks hot. Bit overdressed though. Par for the course in NI I find.

I don't understand is how wanting basic rights makes one a 'bastard'

Ha ha. Do you think it's “unfair” comrade? Tell us more about these basic rights of which you speak, can I measure them with some kind of magical rightsometer?