The liquidator appointed to Debenhams has withdrawn its offer to workers after protesters occupied former stores in Dublin and Cork.
Gardaí have confirmed that six people were arrested this morning at Henry Street in Dublin while officers also attended an incident at Patrick Street in Cork.
Investigators said all six were arrested on suspicion of trespassing and have since been released. Gardaí are also investigating a suspected act of criminal damage.
Last week, liquidator KPMG increased its redundancy offer to staff by €1m and said they would also be offered one-third of any profit from the sale of stock.
Workers later described the offer as a “slap in the face” after more than five months of protest.
Gardaí just entered Henry St, #Debenhams store following occupation this morning by workers. Disgraceful, Gardaí are not sent in to meat plants to protect workers health but are sent in, in minutes to act against workers who threaten profits of big business @morningireland @pb4p
— Richard Boyd Barrett (@RBoydBarrett) September 8, 2020
Today, KPMG said last night’s occupation had made it clear that the redundancy offer is “not acceptable to the former employees and others.”
“In light of these developments, the liquidators have formally withdrawn their support for the settlement agreement this morning,” it said. “No further settlement agreements will be negotiated by the liquidators with the former employees.”
Sean, one of the workers arrested the sit-in overnight, told Newstalk that the offer simply did not go far enough.
“We have made our statement very clearly,” he said. “It was all over social media.
“We have made it very clear that the offer is not even close to what we were expecting.”
Gardai quick to arrest #HenryStreetHeroes who occupied #Debenhams store. Worker sit-ins are established form of protest. Would they were so quick to arrest #golfgate judges. Cork workers allowed continue sit-in. @MichealMartinTD was on their picket. What does he have to say? pic.twitter.com/mmIFvNL9au
— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) September 8, 2020
Another worker Jane Crowe said she felt she had choice but to join the sit-in.
“It was weird,” she said. “I have never even had as much as parking ticket before so.
“I wouldn’t say it was frightening, it was just something we felt we had to do. We were down to the Conventions Centre last week; we had a rally down there and we spoke to the Dáil when it returned and we told them that we would be stepping things up this week.”
#Debenhams protestorJane Crowe was arrested this morning for trespassing at the Henry Street store which has gone into liquidation. KPMG has withdrawn its redundancy offer after it was rejected. pic.twitter.com/xavJ9MNrjB
— Kim Buckley (@KiiimBuckley) September 8, 2020
The Mandate trade union said it was disappointed at the decision to withdraw the offer and called on all parties to get back around the table to resolve the dispute.
Mandate Assistant General Secretary Gerry Light said the workers frustration is “completely understandable.”
“These workers have spent the last 152 days on strike outside their place of employment because their employer, Debenhams Ireland, completely discarded them,2 he said.
“The law allowed that company to tear up the worker’s redundancy agreement and transfer valuable assets over to the UK parent company leaving their workers with nothing.”
Mr Light said Mandate would continue to call for legal changes recommended in the wake of the Clerys closure to be implemented.
