Occupation of Thomas Cook in Dublin

[bellyscratch]

New occupation against redundancies in Dublin: a voice from inside

Twenty workers have occupied a Thomas Cook travel agents shop in Dublin after they were told they were being sacked with immediate effect.
TSSA union organiser Patrick McCusker spoke to Socialist Worker from inside the occupation.
“We’ve been occupying the building since noon today. The big bosses came in with a letter in their pockets and told us they’d shut the two shops.
“The company’s making a profit. The chief executive gave himself a massive bonus this year.”
Thomas Cook’s head in Ireland, Manny Fontenla-Novoa, was awarded a seven million euro bonus (about £5 million) earlier this year. Thomas Cook made more than £400 million in profits in Ireland in 2008.
The workers, who are in the TSSA union, had already staged a protest last week when they were told their shop was to close on 6 September. They had decided to take strike action. Patrick says, “We balloted for a strike this week. For the first time in my life we had 100 percent in favour of industrial action.”
But today they were told the closure had been brought forward and they should leave the premises immediately.
Patrick continues, “The management said, you’re sacked and here’s your letter. We told them to go and get stuffed.
“We won’t be treated without respect or dignity. We locked ourselves in the top floor offices.
“Everyone’s been talking about the Isle of Wight, Visteon and Waterford occupations.
“We’ve got a window where we can get supplies in and out. And we can shout down to people below. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll occupy until they start talking sense.”
A total of 44 people have been sacked at two Dublin stores. The 20 are occupying the Grafton Street office (opposite Trinity College Dublin). Thomas Cook plans to close all its shops in Ireland.
Send emails of support to [email protected] and [email protected]


http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=18649

[Manzil]

Thomas Cook plans to close all its shops in Ireland.

Seems a bit extreme. Anyone know why they're attempting this?

Anyway, good on the workers concerned. Hopefully we'll see workplace occupations being used wherever the bosses are trying to bully their way into quick victories over their employees. Now, if they only started reopening these shops and offices without bothering to deal with their managers or owners...

[bellyscratch]

Thomas Cook occupation spreads to second shop: worker speaks

The Dublin branch of Direct Holidays, a sister shop to the Thomas Cook office occupied yesterday, has also gone into occupation.
Workers believed that suspicious behaviour by security guards meant that their shop, in Talbot Street, was also threatened with immediate closure.
They responded with a lock-in starting at midday today. Pauline, speaking from the occupation, said, “This morning a man arrived and asked for the keys, supposedly for our protection. He said he was from Thomas Cook.
“We knew that’s what they did at the shop yesterday—took the keys and changed the locks. Our shop could have been empty by the end of the day. So we had no choice but to go into occupation.”
The new occupation means that workers from three shops are now occupying, as the first Thomas Cook occupation, which has entered its second day, includes staff from two shops.
Thomas Cook owns the Direct Holidays operation. The company is planning to shut down its entire branch network in Ireland, leaving only a call centre and a small admin office.
“They say they have to close our shop, but they made 400 million euros in profit last year,” says Pauline. “It’s disgusting.”
“This is the domino effect. We didn’t plan this. But we’re not leaving. We’re camping out here.”

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=18651

[PRC-UTE]

TSSA members in occupation!

At 10.00am management from Thomas Cook arrived at shops in Dublin to enforce closure. Members refused and are now occupying the shops. The context to this dispute is a company that seeks to consolidate and increase profits through the closure of more than 100 shops, the closures in Dublin fly in the face of these shops making more than £400 million profit during 2008.

TSSA members need your support, we need messages of support flooding into to these members:

Hand write a message and run it through the fax: fax number: 00 35316 771258 and 00 35318 783965
Send emails to [email protected] and [email protected]
Join the face book group at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...8623383&ref=mf
Sign the online petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/s...jobsinireland/
Most importantly please raise awareness; please forward, please take and discuss at your branches, trades council, divisional councils, regional councils – and send a big message that the movement is behind them.

in solidarity,

Jon Clark

National Education Officer
TSSA
Mobile: 07717366415
Office: 020 73872101 ext: 8016
Fax: 020 7383 0656
Helpline: 0800 3282673
Website: www.tssa.org.uk (http://www.tssa.org.uk/)

[OneNamedNameLess]

Positive stuff. Hopefully employees from other stores facing closures resist in some way.

[cyu]

Join the face book group at ???
Sign the online petition ???


These two links aren't working for me.

(Thanks for the http://www.tssa.org.uk/ link though :D)

[bricolage]

Now, if they only started reopening these shops and offices without bothering to deal with their managers or owners...

Indeed. I really think this needs to be the next step, these occupations are all fantastic and are reviving militant tactics however they need to have long term aims beyond a return to the way things were. Democratic worker control has to be that.

[BOZG]

Anyone who's free tomorrow should come along to the Support Rally at the Grafton St shop at 10.30am. The court injunction comes into force at 11am tomorrow so it will be good to have a show of force outside the shop and then head down to the protest outside the High Court.

[Saorsa]

Man, I'm feeling really good about events over the past year or two. We've gone from a world wide downturn in class struggle to a situation where workers in Britain and Ireland are occupying their workplaces, from Visteon and Vestas to Thomas Cook. We've got bossnappings in France, workers threatening to blow up their factories... things are looking good!

[cyu]

Great link here by the way: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/thomas-cook-dublin-sit-in-live

[NORTHERNSTAR]

The workers occupation was physically broken up by over 80 Gardia this morning.
As far as I know 20 of the occupiers have been arrested and are to appear in court this afternoon.
Protest outside the 'Four courts' from 1pm onwards
You can also ring the bridewell to protest on 01 6668200

For those that can't make it the least you can do is let as many people as possible know about whats happening and boycott all Thomas Cook and Direct Holidays

[la lucha sigue]

http://admin2.7.forumer.com/templates/subSilver/images/icon_minipost_new.gif (http://admin2.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?p=60189#60189)Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:24 am Post subject: http://admin2.7.forumer.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_quote.gif (http://admin2.7.forumer.com/posting.php?mode=quote&p=60189) breakingnews.ie

Gardaí in Dublin have arrested around 30 Thomas Cook workers who were staging a sit-in protest at the company's city centre store.

The move follows a ruling by the High Court yesterday ordering the workers to leave the premises by 7pm yesterday.

Thomas Cook also agreed to enter talks at the Labour Relations Commission if the occupation ended.

The employees, however, decided to continue their protest over the closure of the store and the redundancy package being offered by the firm.

At around 5.30am today, gardaí entered the outlet on Grafton St and arrested around 30 of the protestors.

They were taken to the Bridewell garda station and are expected to appear in court this afternoon.

The Thomas Cook Support Group said one of the workers, Avril Boyne, who is eight months pregnant, went into labour while the arrests were being carried out and that an ambulance was called to assist her.

[la lucha sigue]

from another message board:

At 5 AM this morning, over 150 Garda took part in an operation to remove Thomas Cook workers who had occupied the building. They sealed off the street, dragged peaceful demonstrators away from the front door, and smashed their way in with a battering ram.

First, around 25 Gardi marched up to the front door of the building. Over 150 Gardi followed them on foot and in riot vans. The latter placed metal barriers across the street, from Trinity College to the bottom of Grafton Street and more across the top of the street affectively sealing off the area. Its estimated 50 to 60 Gardi manned each line of barriers.
About a dozen protesters we huddled together at the front of the building. When the Gardi arrived they immediately used force to remove the protesters even though all of them repeated the words '…this is a peaceful protest… 'Women were dragged along the ground by their feet, and put into arm and wrist locks by Gardi twice their size. One man was punched as he sat on the ground by the front door.
Once the Gardi had managed to force the handful of demonstrators back, they immediately produced a battering ram and proceeded to break the door down by breaking the glass and also the doorframe.
Before they arrived there were a number of people inside, sleeping on the floor. It’s believed at least one pregnant lady was inside, and she was taken to the Coombe Hospital as she went into labor early.

Many witnesses who saw the events unfold before their eyes were horrified at the amount of force and manpower that was used to gain entry to the building. The workers inside, and the supporters outside, had said from the start that it was a peaceful demonstration and that
There will be a protest at 1 o'clock at the Bridewell Garda station. Those arrested will be appearing at the Dublin District Court no 45/46 at 2 pm today

[Black_Flag]

Heres another link concerning the arrests:

http://libcom.org/news/protests-due-after-police-arrest-thomas-cook-workers-04082009

[BOZG]

Everyone that was arrested was released today after purging their contempt. Due to return to the courts on October 6th to discuss costs and possibly a fining.

Will give a bigger update later. I've been on the picket line for about 34 hours straight and need a rest.

[L.J.Solidarity]

Solidarity demonstrations took part internationally today, two of them were held in Berlin. Link in German (http://www.sozialismus.info/?sid=3277)

[cyu]

Pictures from http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/08/0302.html

http://socialistworld.net/pics/2009/08/0302/pic02.pjpeg

http://socialistworld.net/pics/2009/08/0302/pic03.pjpeg

More pics in Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117888623383&ref=mf

[Bitter Ashes]

As great as it is to see workers taking steps under thier own steam to fight for thier rights and I am a fan of occupations, it's always worth examining whether they're the best answer in every situation.

Any type of industrial action is intended to change what is profitable for an employer. Instead of it bieng profitable to fuck over the working class, industrial action makes it more profiatble to treat the workers with respect.

The main purpose of an occupation is to "lock out" employers. In the event of a redudancy this can be used to prevent them from removing equipment that they would plan on selling. This makes it more profitable for employers to consider the workers' demands than let thier stock and machinary go unsold. With the situation of a travel agents, there is no stock and no machinary to withold, only a few desks and brochures. Therefore in this case it's still more profitable for the employer to ignore workers' demands and other methods should be explored.

One size does not fit all.

Anyway. Best of luck to them in the courts. It's a disgrace that they're bieng held!

[pastradamus]

The workers occupation was physically broken up by over 80 Gardia this morning.
As far as I know 20 of the occupiers have been arrested and are to appear in court this afternoon.
Protest outside the 'Four courts' from 1pm onwards
You can also ring the bridewell to protest on 01 6668200

For those that can't make it the least you can do is let as many people as possible know about whats happening and boycott all Thomas Cook and Direct Holidays

Sorry to be a bit of a twit here but it was actually 150 gardaí believe it or not and also I shall be boycotting thomas cook when I book my hols in september.

[pastradamus]

As great as it is to see workers taking steps under thier own steam to fight for thier rights and I am a fan of occupations, it's always worth examining whether they're the best answer in every situation.

Any type of industrial action is intended to change what is profitable for an employer. Instead of it bieng profitable to fuck over the working class, industrial action makes it more profiatble to treat the workers with respect.

The main purpose of an occupation is to "lock out" employers. In the event of a redudancy this can be used to prevent them from removing equipment that they would plan on selling. This makes it more profitable for employers to consider the workers' demands than let thier stock and machinary go unsold. With the situation of a travel agents, there is no stock and no machinary to withold, only a few desks and brochures. Therefore in this case it's still more profitable for the employer to ignore workers' demands and other methods should be explored.

One size does not fit all.

Anyway. Best of luck to them in the courts. It's a disgrace that they're bieng held!


I think the strikes were a brilliant success. If you were CEO of Thomas Cook how would you feel about them?

I mean all the radio stations and news broadcasters in Ireland were talking about it today, not to mention the press. Its blackballed them amongst some members of the working class. There was a good deal of support in Belfast too!

It sends a strong message "fuck with us and we'll drag you down with us". This might sound strange coming from me, but not every strike is about securing jobs, even when a shop steward knows he's not going to get anything from dealing with the company he sometimes still tells members to protest - just for the sake of bad PR for the company.

[pastradamus]

Solidarity demonstrations took part internationally today, two of them were held in Berlin. Link in German (http://www.sozialismus.info/?sid=3277)

WOW! Who could have expected such solidarity!

[pastradamus]

Everyone that was arrested was released today after purging their contempt. Due to return to the courts on October 6th to discuss costs and possibly a fining.

Will give a bigger update later. I've been on the picket line for about 34 hours straight and need a rest.

Thats some going man. Fair dues comrade! :thumbup1:

[BOZG]

The main purpose of an occupation is to "lock out" employers. In the event of a redudancy this can be used to prevent them from removing equipment that they would plan on selling. This makes it more profitable for employers to consider the workers' demands than let thier stock and machinary go unsold. With the situation of a travel agents, there is no stock and no machinary to withold, only a few desks and brochures. Therefore in this case it's still more profitable for the employer to ignore workers' demands and other methods should be explored.

One size does not fit all.

Anyway. Best of luck to them in the courts. It's a disgrace that they're bieng held!

You're correct in the sense that a travel agent doesn't hold much machinery or stock but the premises is also a valuable product. Thomas Cook sold the premises off a number of years ago and are currently re-leasing the property, for quite a hefty cost when you take into account that the shop is on one of the most expensive streets in Europe when it comes to rent prices. They're also locked into a long-term lease so it's necessary for them to try and get the premises on the market as soon as possible, not that they'll actually manage to sub-let it soon.

More importantly though, as Pastradamus pointed out, it was the issue of publicity that really scared them. It would be difficult to find anywhere that's more central in Dublin than where Thomas Cook is located. The corner would even be known as the Thomas Cook corner to some. Because of the small size of the workforce and their inability to halt production etc., bad publicity that put pressure on Thomas Cook internationally, but in the UK particularly was always going to be an important aspect of the occupation as well as trying to spread action to other shops obviously.

Overall though, the significance of the occupation is not just about these workers fighting for a better redundancy but about the response of other workers to this action. I don't think I've seen such a solid response to what happened to any industrial action as I did to the Thomas Cook workers. The response wasn't just "Fair play to them" but that "they're absolutely right" which is extremely important. This action, along with the occupation of Waterford Crystal can raise important ideas about industrial action and occupations for other workers facing a similar situation.

There are obviously lessons to be learned too, in relation to how the action could have been spread to Thomas Cook HQ in Ireland and to other shops in Britain and also in relation to the Direct Holidays (a TC subsidiary) shop, which was also initially occupied but was then vacated.

But what's most important was how quickly consciousness changed for these workers and how some workers were pushed into playing a leadership role in this action. This is a sign of the times to come and revolutionaries need to discuss what role they can play in both supporting these actions but also how they can raise ideas and inspire confidence, not just in taking the initial steps of occupation but pointing out how workers can defy court orders etc. particularly when they can pull the support of the working class behind them. There is no doubt that the judge would not have been so lenient had it not been for the fact that their occupation inspired the working class to back them up, if not physically this time but morally.

Genuine interventions into these struggles can also help workers overcome the resistance of the trade union leaderships. In this case, the union organisers played a good role in organising and fighting along side the workers but there are questions to be asked about the role of the general secretary of the union, hiding under the guise of protecting the union from legal action but in reality, playing a conservative role, particularly in Direct Holidays (where the TSSA isn't recognised), where he effectively told the staff to end the occupation because the union couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't be sacked when they were due back to work on Tuesday morning.

As it stands, the workers are currently in negotiations with management about the terms of the redundancy package. The media have generally been reporting that because of the action, they're likely to receive a better package though not what they wanted but it's difficult to judge at the moment. They were given a date of August 6th to accept the redundancy package on offer of 2 weeks statuatory, plus 3 weeks per year in the initial discussions prior to the occupation. It's possible that the company has been emboldened by the fact that the workers no longer have a bargaining chip and will offer a worse deal when the deadline expires (if it's not accepted by the workers) or they could be forced into making a gesture of good will and offer extra because of the publicity and media exposure. If I hear anything, I'll update everyone.

In relation to the minor discussion on police numbers, it was somewhere between 100-150. They came from a number of angles and side streets and it wasn't possible to count them all but my initial count after we'd been removed from outside the building was about 70 blockading the streets, another 20+ inside the building removing people and maybe another 10-15 driving the vans. As I said, I couldn't see them all and could only count an insignificant number on the far end of the street and I'd assume that there was more out of sight.

If anyone is interested, the Socialist Party are organising a public meeting on the occupation for Wednesday 12th August, in Wynn's Hotel, Abbey St, Dublin 1. One of the occupies will be speaking it and I'd recommend everyone to come along just to listen to her speak. She played an absolutely fantastic role over the course of the dispute and was instrumental (along with a number of other workers) in encouraging everyone to continue with the occupation and to defy the court order, no matter what the costs were.

[BOZG]

Also comrades, it would be good to continue sending messages of support to the Facebook group linked above.

[cyu]

You're correct in the sense that a travel agent doesn't hold much machinery or stock but the premises is also a valuable product. Thomas Cook sold the premises off a number of years ago and are currently re-leasing the property, for quite a hefty cost when you take into account that the shop is on one of the most expensive streets in Europe when it comes to rent prices. They're also locked into a long-term lease so it's necessary for them to try and get the premises on the market as soon as possible, not that they'll actually manage to sub-let it soon.

If they're closing down all of Ireland, then the stakes get much higher. If the occupiers link up with the rest of the employees across Ireland, then they can effectively "declare independence" from the rest of the Thomas Cook crown, and start running their own company.

[BOZG]

Thomas Cook - A courageous struggle - Trade unions movement must act to defend workers' rights (http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2009/08/0603.html)


The significance of the Thomas Cook occupation cannot be overstated. At the time of writing the issue of redundancy payments is not resolved but already the struggle has exposed the pro-big business nature of the courts and the Gardai. Crucially it was a victory of the spirit of the workers and showed the extraordinary ability of people to fight to defend their rights.

Twenty-eight workers arrested and dragged through the courts in scenes more common in far away dictatorial regimes. The Thomas Cook occupation showed that “social partnership” does not exist. It also illustrated the anger that working class people feel at being made pay the price for the crisis through job cuts and attacks on rights. When told that the company was going to close with immediate effect the workers occupied the building.....

[Gravedigger01]

Its sad!I'm from inner-city Dublin and live 5 minutes from Grafton Street but I thought this was sorted out.The protest is barely making the headlines and I've only seen it on the news once

[BOZG]

Its sad!I'm from inner-city Dublin and live 5 minutes from Grafton Street but I thought this was sorted out.The protest is barely making the headlines and I've only seen it on the news once

Well, there's currently no protests happening at the moment. They're currently in talks at the Labour Relations Commission.