Submarine Bar staff go on strike over new owner’s redundancy order

BAR staff at a Dublin pub started a three-day picket outside the premises yesterday after they were told that their numbers were to be cut and they would all have to re-apply for their jobs.

The full-time workers at the Submarine Bar in Crumlin claim they were told by the new owner last Friday that they would all have to take redundancy and then re-apply for their jobs.

They said they were told application forms had to be in by last Monday.

According to Alvin Simpson, who has been employed there for five years, the workers decided to unite and refuse to submit the applications. He added that although staff had contracts and some had worked there for up to 11 years, they had been told they would lose their jobs by this Friday if they did not co-operate with the new owner.

Mr Simpson said only one staff member, a part-time member, had crossed their picket line yesterday.

“Three of us are due to be working on Saturday at 10am when the three-day strike ends,” he said.

“Either we will be handed our P45s or be put on to the roster.”

The workers’ Mandate union representative Eddie Cassidy said he imagined the new owner was trying to replace the staff with cheaper labour.

“The owner has said he is reorganising, that there has been a downturn in the business. He is breaching the transfer of undertakings by doing this. The jobs are still there. Who is going to pull the pints?” said Mr Cassidy. “We will consider what other action we will take in the next couple of days. There could be another strike.”

No one from the pub management was available for comment yesterday.