Strike at Connolly Shoes continues

A strike that began at Connolly Shoes in Dun Laoghaire four weeks ago shows no signs of impending resolution. The strike has been undertaken by the Connolly workers in response to what they describe as "a breakdown of communication" on behalf of management. By Philip Pilkington.

After a series of one day strikes last September management entered into negotiations with workers. Last November these negotiations faltered and tensions simmered until the current strike broke out in response to the dismissal by management of two employees who refused to sign new contracts without their prior negotiation.

Mandate, the Connolly workers’ trade union, has blamed the strike on the management's failure to engage in negotiations with the workers. Matt Connolly, who took over directorship from his father last year, told Politico that he will not negotiate terms with Mandate or recognise them as his employee’s union.

Mandate, however, have said that they are willing to step aside and allow negotiations to take place through a neutral mediator.

Representative of Mandate, Keith Pollard said: “Mandate have at all stages of this dispute been available to use any intermediary to bring a resolution to this dispute. We are available at any time to talk to Mr. Connolly in order to bring this strike action to a conclusion.”

Mr. Connolly said that Mandate “appear to validate the bullying and intimidation of our customers at the picket line”. The strikers and the union deny this, saying that both the public and local businesses have been extremely supportive of them throughout the period of the industrial action.

Last week the strikers held a rally which an estimated 200 people attended.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore, in his position as local TD, has offered his assistance in resolving the dispute. Mr. Connolly has refused such assistance as he says that Mr. Gilmore is unwilling to discuss the "rights and wrongs of the dispute" and also says that Mr. Gilmore has "ideological" motivations that would impair his ability to mediate in the dispute.

CEO of the Dun Laoghaire Chamber of Commerce, Hal Ledford, has stated that the employees must take the current economic climate into consideration when making their demands. The Chamber of Commerce has also offered its assistance regarding the matter.

The Chamber asked Mandate and the strikers would they accept pay-cuts and reduced hours; both confirmed that these terms are acceptable. “We are willing to make sacrifices, but these have to be discussed,” said long-serving Connolly employee and striker John Mulpetre.

Mr. Connolly said that the staff involved in the strike action are "malcontents", unwilling to work to the standards that he expects from his employees.

“This situation is being engineered by these malcontents for their own means and ends with the goal of their campaign being the closure of the store,” said Mr. Connolly. “It is important to note that two-thirds of the staff are currently working.”

Many of the strikers are long-serving members of the Connolly staff; the five most experienced strikers have worked a total of 170 years at the shop. Mandate point out that during this time they have never had to intervene on behalf of these or any other Connolly workers.

The strikers are pessimistic about getting their old jobs back, but are determined not to walk away empty handed. “I have worked here for 38 years,” said Mr. Mulpetre, “and the rest of the strikers have been here for a similar amount of time. The very least they could do is reimburse us after such a long period of service.”

Last January the Labour Rights Commission found Mr. Connolly to be in breach of the Payment of Wages Act 1991 and ordered him to pay compensation for lost wages and sick leave to three of his worker. Mandate point out that Mr. Connolly failed both to attend the hearings and to pay the compensation in the six weeks designated by the court.

Local councillor Richard Boyd-Barrett has called for local people to boycott Connolly Shoes until the situation is resolved.

Mr. Connolly has closed one of his two Dun Laoghaire shops but has refused to disclose his intentions for doing so. “Our plans for this store will be made known to the public at the appropriate time,” he said.