The lockout of workers by Greyhound Recycling and Recovery is entering its seventh week with the solidarity of the men unbroken and growing support for their campaign for justice from communities across Dublin. Strike committee member and SIPTU Shop Steward, Jesse Hughes, said: “This dispute has united the workers and as each week passes we have become more determined to see it through until its success. This is simply a dispute we cannot afford to lose.”The workers have been locked out at the waste disposal company in west Dublin, since 17th June. Management at the company is attempting to force workers to accept wage cuts of up to 35% and has employed strike-breakers to carry out waste collections during the dispute.The workers have received support from across the trade union movement. In recent days donations for the Greyhound Workers Support Fund have been received from Unite (€10,000), Mandate (€2,500) and the CWU (€5,000). Fellow SIPTU members have also began workplace collections with €400 presented today (Tuesday, 29th July) to the strikers from a collection conducted in Smurfit Kappa, Ballymount.Legendary folk singer, Christy Moore, has given his support to the campaign and is playing a benefit concert in support of the workers in Liberty Hall on Saturday, 16th August.A leafleting campaign organised by the SIPTU Dublin District Council has seen over 30,000 leaflets outlining the circumstances of the lockout distributed to homes and commuters across Dublin. Leaflets were also been distributed at League of Ireland games with the Justice for the Locked Out Greyhound Workers banner flown prominently by Bohemians fans at their team’s recent game with Cork City. Sinn Féin activists held a day of action in support of the workers during which they held 20 information stalls across the city and distributed thousands of leaflets. The activities of Greyhound Recycling and Recovery are creating increasing anger within communities. Across the city local activists have halted bin collection trucks everyday for a several hours in peaceful protests in which they call upon the agency workers to support the SIPTU members who have been locked out of their work.SIPTU Organiser, Stephen Lewis, said: “Workers and communities realise that if this company gets to treat its workers like this it will give a green light to unscrupulous employers to begin a race to the bottom in workplaces across the country. This is a vital struggle for all workers, it is great that people are realising this and giving their overwhelming support to the campaign”.For more information see ‘Justice for the Greyhound Workers’ Facebook page
Greyhound Lockout enters seventh week
