29 | April | 2009 | Dominick Donnelly

Archive for April 29th, 2009

Cllr. Donnelly welcomes news that Tesco will be meeting with their Douglas workers tonight

Published April 29, 2009 Douglas , Economy , Tesco Douglas Leave a Comment

29^th April 2009 – 8pm

After the first day of their strike action at Tesco Douglas, members of the Mandate trade union have been invited to emergency talks this evening to try to resolve the dispute. Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, the Green Party member of Passage West Town Council and candidate for Cork County Council for the Douglas area, has welcomed this move from Tesco.

Cllr. Donnelly said: “I do not understand why Tesco did not try to talk properly to their workers before now, instead of bullying them. The strike notice was served to them a week ago. However I welcome that they now seem to want to negotiate, and I hope there is a satisfactory outcome to their negotiations tonight, and that this needless dispute can be resolved quickly. If not their long-standing employees in Douglas are technically out of a job as of tomorrow (Thursday) evening.”

“The level of support for the strike was amazing in Douglas today. The workers were overwhelmed with the support they received, with many individuals and local businesses giving them gifts, and showing them tremendous support. It was surely this level of support from the general public, and the business community around Douglas, that has brought Tesco to their senses,” continued Cllr. Donnelly.

Cork County Council must check out the ownership of Gobby Beach car park in Ringaskiddy, says Cllr. Donnelly

Published April 29, 2009 Amenity , Cork Harbour , Incineration , Ringaskiddy Leave a Comment

29^th April 2009

The car park at Gobby Beach in Ringaskiddy has been put on the market by the liquidator for Irish Ispat, through auctioneers Lisney at their Cork office. Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, the Green Party member of Passage West Town Council and candidate for Cork County Council for the Douglas area, has asked Cork County Council to check out the ownership of this car park, as local residents always thought it belonged to the county council, and the county council have maintained the car park, and have put bottle banks on it.

Cllr. Donnelly said: “I have asked Declan Daly, the Divisional Manager for the South Cork area, to check into the ownership of this car park. The local understanding is that this car park is already owned by Cork County Council, but it has recently been put up for sale by the liquidator of Irish Ispat through Lisney’s auctioneers. If it transpires that Cork County Council do not own the car park, then I urge them to acquire it as an essential piece of local infrastructure.”

“It is essential that this car park stays in public ownership, as it is well used by the general public, and is the only access to Gobby Beach, one of very few beaches in Cork Harbour. The auctioneer has informed me that a sale of this car park was negotiated with the Office of Public Works a few years ago, but it did not proceed. Really the only logical owner for this car park is the local authority, and they must investigate this as a matter of urgency,” continued Cllr. Donnelly.

Additional Information: The Gobby Beach car park is at the end of the Ringaskiddy peninsula, near the bridge to Haulbowline and adjacent to Indaver’s site, where they are currently applying to build two incinerators.

Tesco workers in Douglas will not give in to bullying, says Cllr. Donnelly

Published April 29, 2009 Douglas , Economy , Tesco Douglas Leave a Comment

29^th April 2009

Following the start of their official strike this morning at the Tesco store in Douglas, members of the Mandate union have shown their unity and it is clear that they are not going to give in to the bullying tactics of their employer. Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, the Green Party member of Passage West Town Council and candidate for Cork County Council for the Douglas area, who has been supporting the workers for the past fortnight in their dispute, joined them this morning as they started their picket.

Cllr. Donnelly said: “The way Tesco has been treating their long standing employees in Douglas is nothing short of inhumane. They have shown a complete disregard for any kind of human decency. However from talking to the employees as they started their strike this morning, it is abundantly clear that they will not be bowed by the bullying tactics of Tesco, and will stand up and fight for their rights. All they are asking is for their jobs to continue with the same terms and conditions they have enjoyed for all their time working for Tesco in Douglas (formerly Quinnsworth), some of them for over thirty years.”

“I urge the public to support the Tesco workers by not passing the picket lines, and to avoid spending any money in any Tesco stores. This is the only way Tesco will be forced to be reasonable. It is now clear that Tesco intend to try to remove the working conditions enjoyed by all their long standing employees right around the country, and that they are using Douglas as a test case. We, the public, have the power to stop this happening, as the only language Tesco understand is money, so it is quite simple – don’t spend any money in Tesco until they treat their employees reasonably,” continued Cllr. Donnelly.

Additional Information: The official strike (by members of the Mandate trade union) started this morning (Wednesday) at the old Tesco store in Douglas. They will be joined from tomorrow by their SIPTU colleagues. The old shop closes tomorrow (Thursday) evening, and Tesco intend to open their new Tesco Extra store on Friday morning (1^st May).