Solidarity with the Obsidian and Echo Workers in Belfast – Fired on the eve of May Day for organising!
Organise! IWA express our solidarity with our members who fought for their rights but were fired in retaliation!
Support the workers!
Background: On the eve of International Working Women’s Day (Saturday 7th March) workers – all members of Organise! – IWA – employed at Obsidian and Echo Body Piercing Studios walked out of an unsafe work environment.
Their boss and owner of the piercing studios, Pamela W., had refused to move on Union recognition and demands from workers that included issues around unvaccinated workers being made to carry out fittings and piercings. Anyone exposed to bodily fluids and blood as part of their work must be vaccinated against Hepatitis B. When customers declared that they had HIV or Hepatitis B employees were put under pressure to do piercings and fittings regardless – “just double up your latex gloves” they were told. Pamela and her management have been given numerous opportunities to meet with their employees to resolve issues but instead they chose to ignore their workers and put them in danger despite claiming to be a “family” that values everyone equally (of course managers in both of Pamela’s shops are immunised). Issues were first officially raised by the workers through their Union when a demand letter was handed to management on Saturday 31st January. With no movement workers refused to subject themselves to risk of disease for a minute longer.
The workers returned to work when their employer made the necessary changes to ensure them a safe workplace, and paid them for the duration they were absent. But now, all the workers have been sacked on egregious charges.
Organise: International Workers Association writes:
“The first indications that the employer was out for ‘revenge’ against workers who had the temerity to ensure their own safety came when two of the workers were informed that their contracts as apprentice piercers would not be honoured. Then on 1st April a part-time worker showed up for their first shift having been told to expect a back to work chat and retraining, which they were asked to attend half an hour early to complete. Instead she was left on her own to cover the manager’s lunch break and after about an hour discovered she had been brought back to work only to be used as cover before being handed a letter informing her that she was being immediately suspended on pay. As other workers attended subsequent shifts they were handed similar letters. They were then informed that they would be given notice of disciplinaries.
As workers were provided with ‘evidence’ it became clear that they were facing disciplinaries for the walk out on safety grounds under the guise of ‘damaging trust’ with their employer!”
More information is available on the crowdfunding page given in the links and on the Organise! IWA website!
As (ex) workers we are in it for the long haul as is Organise! and below is the link to the crowdfunder for hardship and campaign costs:
More information about the campaign this far can be found here:
AnarCom Network 