Organise! IWA handed in demands to management on Saturday 31st of January and management have since attempted deflection and ignoring the workers demands for collective, face to face negotiation. At the last minute they attempted to ‘deal’ with the employees’ demands through their Grievance Procedure at a meeting that included no employees or members of management and was instead to be heard by an ‘independent’ HR company they had hired. This was their response given at almost exactly 24 notice and which did not include workers demands for a pay increase. In the days before this last minute ‘proposal’ from the company they had also approached one worker and offered them a substantial pay rise to provide short notice cover (ie scab). We are therefore currently in dispute with management at Obsidian and Echo Body Piercing shops in Belfast (which are operated by the same company) who have not acted in good faith in seeking resolution of their employees’ concerns and demands.

Issues raised by the workers include health and safety concerns, issues with inconsistent application of the disciplinary procedure, issues pertaining to hours and rotas, proper itemisation of pay slips, adequate breaks and a pay increase in line with the Real Living Wage and industry standards.