Costello reiterates call for Clerys owners to meet with workers

5 January 2016

by Cllr Joe Costello

On foot of last night’s RTE documentary on the closure of Clerys department store, Dublin Central Labour Party TD Joe Costello has reiterated his call on the owners of Clerys, Natrium, to meet with the former workers to negotiate a fair redundancy package. 

Deputy Costello commented: “On the 12th June 2015 Natrium bought Clerys and immediately proceeded to liquidate the company. They fired all the Clerys workers and closed the department store.

“Some of the workers found out they had lost their job via social media. Natrium did not pay the workers any redundancy consequently leaving the State to pick up the tab. This is a totally unacceptable way to treat workers.

“My colleague Minister Ged Nash has been working closely with the Clerys workers to help improve their situation and listen to their concerns about reforming company law to prevent other workers being treated in such an unjustifiable way in the future.

“It is appalling that Natrium have refused repeated calls from the workers to meet with them to discuss a fair redundancy package.

“This is fundamentally a matter of human decency. The Clerys workers were renowned for providing an excellent service at the iconic department store. The RTE documentary displayed the negative impact the sudden closure of Clerys has had on the workers and their families. They deserve better treatment.

“Natrium must do the right thing and meet with the workers.”