The Industrial Workers’ of the World (IWW) Ireland were among those initiating the Global Month of Solidarity with the Garment Workers at Dragon Sweater (Dhaka, Bangladesh).
IWW branches in Belfast, Derry, Dublin, Galway and Newry organized pickets targeting ASDA (Walmart) and Lidl stores and published this press release:

IWW Protests at Lidl and ASDA Stores across Ireland in support of Garment Workers

Members of the IWW Ireland Branch took part in today’s international day of action in support of Garment Workers in Bangladesh. The action itself is part of a series of month long international solidarity protests in support of 6000 Garment Workers Trade Union Centre (GWTUC) members who were illegally sacked by Dragon Sweater Group in March.

The Dragon Sweater Group, who supply Lidl and ASDA/Walmart stores globally, used the excuse of Covid-19 pandemic to illegally terminate jobs of thousands of Garment Workers closing factories across Bangladesh.

A spokesperson for the IWW Ireland Branch in a statement following today’s events “Mass layoffs are already taking place in Ireland as well as worldwide and as workers we must stand in solidarity with one another to let bosses know that an injury to one is an injury jury to all and that we will resist and fight back against further job losses and unfair dismissals.

“We have to take a united stand, as the IWW have done today in Ireland, north and south and internationally with radical syndicalist unions such as the GWTUC and FAU and others through the CIT-ICL, united against the Dragon.

“This is the first in a series of month long actions and we call on other unions to take part. We intend to continue our solidarity actions with the GWTUC members to highlight the fight against the Dragon, to demand the reinstatement of all 6000 garment workers and for wages owed to them to be paid in full.

“Covid 19 has become an excuse for bosses and capitalists to get away with unfair dismissals disregarding labour worker rights agreements. Let the rich pay for Covid losses, the working class must stand together and fight back any attempts to cut down on labour’s rights.”

originally published on onebigunion.ie