Madam, – I find it hard to believe that Pól Ó Deoráin (August 5th) draws comparisons between the recent Thomas Cook workers’ dispute and the 1913 Lockout. In 1913 Dublin was one of the poorest cities in Europe, a third of the city’s population lived in the overcrowded city centre slums. Poor diet and poor sanitation meant Dublin had one of the highest infant death rates in Europe. Up to 20,000 workers were locked out and people subjected to attacks by the police at public meetings.
The 26 Thomas Cook workers on the other hand want an eight- week redundancy package rather than five. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Might we safely assume that the ghost of William Martin Murphy had a good snigger as police forced down the door of Thomas Cook’s to arrest the workers? Their heroism should inspire us relentlessly to question why rogue bankers still stroll unchallenged about our streets, smug and untouched by the law. The belief, and the anger, that they will never have their Armani collars felt is growing daily throughout the country.
My grandfather was batoned by a Dublin Metropolitan Police officer in 1913 during the Dublin Lockout. He took the scar to his grave. As then, so now: one law for the rich and influential, one law for the poor. Braver than any of our rag-and-bone politicians, were the workers at Cook’s. I wish I had their courage. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Jimmy Kelly of Unite argues that “these are ordinary people standing up for their rights” (Breaking News, August 4th). What rights exactly, he does not clarify. They have a right to statutory redundancy, nothing more. I will certainly be cheering if Thomas Cook withdraw their already significant severance offerings and give these individuals no more than Irish redundancy law affords. I certainly hope and trust that none of these people will be offered free legal aid after their blatant contempt for the rule of law. One company has stood up and fended off the bullying tactics of Irish trade unionism – hopefully other companies will follow. – Yours, etc,