A group of former Debenhams workers are set to stage a final rally tomorrow in Ballsbridge outside the Workplace Relations Committee.
In April 2020, approximately 1,000 Debenhams workers at 11 stores across the county were let go. Staff manned picket lines for 406 days during the pandemic, with many from Dublin stores protesting outside the Dail.
On Wednesday, a rally is set to take place at 10am in Ballsbridge outside the Workplace Relations Committee with former workers being invited to attend the rally for "one last push." In a letter seen by Dublin Live, the organisers of the rally for the former employees said: "As you know we are finally going to the WRC on Wednesday at 10am. Please get onto all your groups of friends and get them over to the WRC.
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"Not only to show Mandate how strong we still are but to show the WRC that we are still behind our claim and are disappointed in how long it has taken our case to get heard. Let's show Matheson Solicitors who are representing both KPMG and Debenhams that we are still strong and won't rest until we get every cent we are due from this. People heard our strong voices for 406 days, let's remind them what we are capable of."
Speaking to Dublin Live, one former Debenhams workers Conor said that it is "very disappointing" that they are waiting over a year to get to the WRC. He said: "We're having a rally to support the WRC proceedings on Wednesday, because we have been waiting over a year for the WRC proceedings to start. It's a long time coming, we want one last final stand at the rally."
Over the summer, a group of former Debenhams workers staged a protest outside the Dail in the hope of getting a new bill passed that will protect retail workers. The bill, called the Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021, was brought by TD Mick Barry to the Dail last year.
If passed the new legislation would allow retail workers to be preferential creditors in a liquidation so that they would be paid what they were owed as a priority.
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