The third rally took place in solidarity with the sacked workers from Obsidian and Echo Piercing Studios in Belfast at 2pm on Sunday 14th June. Members of Organise! IWA and our Piercing Industry Union were joined by other Union members from Belfast and beyond. --- The five young workers, 4 women and one trans man, were sacked on April 30th in what, a speaker from Organise! IWA informed the rally "was clearly revenge for winning a health and safety dispute". We also heard from Gray, one of the sacked workers, who described longrunning issues with victimisation, no reasonable adjustment by the management for a chronic health condition and the arbitrary withdrawal of apprenticeships as "punsihment". These and other collective issues prompted the workers to get organised, start discussinng their concerns (which of course their employer did not like) and attempt to get them addressed collectively. The workers joined Organise! IWA and set up their own Piercing Union and requested a collective meeting with management.
As this developed the workers became aware of the seriousness of not having been fully vaccinated against Hepatitus B in a working environment in which they were routinely exposed to bodily fluids. As their employer continued to refuse to move on any concerns - including their safety - the workers removed themselves from an unsafe working environment on Saturday 7th of March. Simultaneously the Belfast International Working Women's Day parade was making it's way through the city centre. Just over two weeks later, on Friday 20th March, the workers were invited back to work in roles that guaranteed their safety, "focused on non-piercing or non-fitting tasks," with no loss of pay for reduced roles. They also received pay for the shifts they would have worked had they not been forced to remove themselves from an unsafe working environment. Antibody tests and vaccination appointments took place on the 24th and 26th of March and the issue with vaccinations resolved. This was a significant victory.
However it was a victory that would not go unpunished. The first fulltime workers started returned to work on Thursday 26th and Monday 30th of March followed by part-time workers as their shifts were rostered. The final part-time worker, Sofia, returned to work in her part shop floor role on the 1st April, having been told to expect a back to work interivew and "retraining". Instead Sofia was left to cover the managers lunch. On the managers return she was handed a letter informing her she was suspended pending the outcome of an investigation that could result in dismissal! Over the next day or two the entire non-management staff of Obsidian and Echo Piercing Studios received the same letter.
Disciplinaries were arranged with the employer and her HR company Peninsula HR to accomodate representation from Organise! IWA. Twenty minutes into the first disciplinary thaat representation was declared "not legal" and kicked out of the online meeting. Under threat of deciding the findings without them one worker went ahead with his disciplinary under protest and the other workers submitted written responses. They were allowed no opportunity to arrange alternative representation and their protests about the legality or Peninsula HR's actions were ignored. With new staff already employed the workers were, unsurprisingly found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked on the eve of May Day. Their request for appeals have been ignored - contrary to the company's own disciplinary procedure and Labour Relations Agency guidance.
As at previous rallies speakers reminded those gathered in solidarity and passersby that the ex workers have called for a boycott of Echo and Obsidian Piercing Studios, that the case is being brought to tribunal and that we will be protesting outside Obsidian Piercing Studio until the workers have won reinstatement.
To help keep the dispute going and to alleviate the hardship these young workers are facing as a result of their vengeful and unfair dismissals we also urge supporters to contribute to their crowdfunder
https://organiseanarchistsireland.com/third-rally-in-solidarity-with-obsidian-and-echo-5/
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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