GARDAI broke up a group of approximately 30 protesters who were preventing company trucks from entering and leaving the Greyhound Recycling depot in Clondalkin, which resulted in Clondalkin Cllr Gino Kenny (PBP) getting arrested.
On July 28, the solidarity group, which was organised by People Before Profit and attended by a number of residents from the local community, held a blockade at the Greyhound Recycling plant in protest against Greyhound management hiring agency workers during the employment strike against wage cuts.
Speaking to The Gazette, Cllr Kenny described the group’s demonstration on July 28, which resulted in him being arrested and detained at Ronanstown Garda Station.
He said: “We had a solidarity picket for the workers down in Greyhound, which was a protest against scab labour. We held a blockade of the scab trucks going in and out of the recycling plant in Clondalkin. We were planning to be there for half the day, but then the police came and there was a minor confrontation. The police pushed people away who were blocking the trucks, and then I got arrested for obstruction.
“In my eyes the use of scab labourers on the front is disgraceful. It wasn’t mayhem – it was a very civil picket until the police showed up, and in the argy-bargy I got arrested. I was sent to Ronanstown Garda Station, but I was only held for about an hour,” he said.
Greyhound Household told The Gazette in response to the protests at its Clondalkin waste plant that: “Greyhound calls on SIPTU to control its striking members picketing at the company’s two depots.
“Greyhound also calls on SIPTU to condemn a spate of criminal attacks on Greyhound trucks.
“Greyhound also rejects SIPTU’s claim that the striking workers are picketing peacefully at just the two company depots. Greyhound contractors have been subjected to a campaign of threats, intimidation and spitting in a number of areas of the city, as they seek to ensure continuity of service to our customers.
“Additionally, picketers not involved in the dispute were illegally blocking trucks from exiting our [depots].”
