On Saturday 30th of May the Piercing Industry Union of Organise! IWA held a successful rally in support of the unfairly dismissed workers. Simon from our Union gave some background and an update on the dispute and thanked everyone for their solidarity and support, including members of the Civil Service union NIPSA.
Aoife Brannigan, one of the five unfairly dismissed workers, gave a more personal account of their struggle, of how they came together to discuss their issues and formed their own union in order to improve their working conditions. Aoife described how as they progressed they discovered just how serious health and safety issues were in the studios ran by Pamela Wilson were and how, on the 7th of March she and her fellow workers walked out of an unsafe workplace due to incomplete vaccinations for Hepatitus B after management had again refused to even speak to them or their union to address safety, or any other, issues.
Members of the Belfast and South Ulster Local’s of Organise! – IWA were present to show solidarity with our dismissed comrades in the piercing industry, support was shown by other piercers in the industry in Belfast as well as the Deputy General Secretary of NIPSA. Simultaneously a picket was being held of the Peninsula HR headquarters in Manchester by members of Solidarity Federation – IWA.
Rallys will continue at times of our chosing until the workers have won their dispute. Solidarity is strength.
