Created on Sunday, 28 February 2010 20:12 Written by Fightback
Here is the TEEU Statement from their website: http://www.teeu.ie/default.asp
Jim Wyse is a 58 year old grandfather on hunger strike outside the Green Isle Foods plant in Naas, Co Kildare, in a fight for workplace rights on behalf of himself and his fellow workers.
We are asking people to sign this petition http://www.teeu.ie/petition.asp
Background
Jim Wyse is a TEEU shop steward. He began his hunger strike on Wednesday, February 17th because the company has refused to reinstate three fellow workers or engage with the union on how to resolve the dispute. Green Isle Foods has left Jim and his fellow members outside the gate for six months, where they have maintained pickets through the worst winter in forty years in defence of basic workplace rights.
The company has rejected initiatives by the Labour Relations Commission, National Implementation Body and the Labour Court aimed at resolving thedispute. It has also refused to accept Labour Court recommendations that it either reinstate the sacked men or pay them compensation.
Jim says he will not end the hunger strike until the company engages in negotiations to end the strike on a fair and equitable basis.
He is a 58 year old grandfather taking this stand on behalf of his fellow workers, most of whom are young men with families of their own. They have vowed to join him on the hunger strike, one each week, for as long as the company maintains its stony indifference to their plight.
Green Isle Foods has received €43 million in grants from the Irish Government. It is the leading supplier of pizzas, frozen fish and frozen vegetables to Dunnes Stores, Superquinn, Tesco, Musgrave's, Supervalu, Centra and Spar in the Republic. Amongst its best known brands are Goodfellas and San Marco pizzas, Donegal Catch and, of course, Green Isle vegetables.