Socialist Republicans Call For Action As Worker Suspended For Wearing Easter Lily
Socialist republican groups have piled pressure on Pat McDonnell Paints following the shameful suspension of a Blanchardstown store worker for wearing an Easter Lily.
Socialist republican groups have piled pressure on Pat McDonnell Paints following the shameful suspension of a Blanchardstown store worker for wearing an Easter Lily.
In a statement yesterday, Anti Imperialist Action Ireland (AIA) said the action “makes a mockery of free state industrial rights legislation that states no one will be discriminated against for political beliefs”, condemning it “in the strongest possible terms”.
Éirígí also condemned the suspension, saying that it “demonstrates that Pat McDonnell Paints is a workplace that is hostile to symbols of remembrance and solidarity”.
“Workers should never be persecuted for remembering our Republican dead, especially in a month of major anniversaries that hold deep cultural and historical significance across Ireland.”
First introduced by Cumann na mBan on the tenth anniversary of the 1916 Rising, the Easter Lily is a symbol worn to honour those who have fought and died for Ireland’s national liberation.
This month marks the 45th anniversary of Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes, the first of ten men to die on Hunger Strike in the H-blocks in 1981.
“This attempt to police such symbols, while simultaneously pushing through employer favoured conditions, speaks volumes about the company’s priorities: anti‑worker, anti‑solidarity, and anti‑Republican” Éirígí’s statement said.
The Independent Workers Union (IWU) have also drawn attention to the case, condemning Pat McDonnell Paints for its crackdown on solidarity.
AIA have called on Republicans to contact Pat McDonnell paints and “register your outrage at their anti-Republican and anti-worker policy; an injury to one is the concern of all!”
Pat McDonnell Paints can be contacted by phone at +353 21 432 0200 or by email at info@mcdonnellpaints.ie.
