Former Debenhams workers picketing in Cork have appealed to waste companies to be vigilant about emptying bins after former staff on an early morning picket went to throw coffee cups away only to find a homeless man sleeping inside a standard green bin.
Claire O'Leary of Watergrasshill in Co Cork was on a socially distanced picket outside the Patrick Street store with a colleague when they made the unsettling discovery.
“My colleague lifted the lid on the bin and she said 'there is someone in there... there is someone in there” and she put it down again. She got such a fright.
“There was a workman passing down. She said it to him and he went down and had a look and the man was just asleep. The main worry was that the bin men would come and empty the bins. We have seen it in Dublin where a bin was emptied and a person was killed.
“I would be saying to shop owners and companies to be vigilant. Keep an eye on them. They (homeless people) mean no harm. They are only trying to stay in from the elements.”
Meanwhile, Elaine Kelleher, who is also on the Debenhams picket in Patrick Street, said that what they have seen on the streets outside the store over the last 285 days feels like “another world” from when they were employed onsite.
'The Taoiseach has let us down badly.'
Ms Kelleher says they were particularly moved by the poignant image of a man who has started sleeping at the entrance under a picket sign they erected which says 'The Taoiseach has let us down badly'.
“When we were working in the store we saw people begging for money on the street but in the last nine months we have really seen and spoken to homeless people. We have fed them, we have chatted to people and are on first name basis with some people. They have given us their life stories.
“One guy said to me that he was going to die on the streets. This was Christmas week. He said he was going to die of cold. He already has a weak chest.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month the Mandate trade union, which represents 1,000 former Debenhams workers, urged Taoiseach Micheál Martin to make €3 million available to the workers in cash payments rather than upskilling supports.
The workers had rejected settlement proposals which centred on a €3 million training and upskilling fund to be made available to impacted employees.
Claire O'Leary had her first day back on the picket earlier this week after giving birth to a daughter Grace ten weeks ago.
She says that former Debenhams workers want a resolution. They never imagined that the Government wouldn't come to their assistance in the midst of a pandemic and with the weather turning ever more inclement in the winter.
She says they are picketing in very small numbers to maintain a presence onsite. They are vigilant about hand washing and social distancing.
However, Ms O'Leary says that they are heartbroken at the havoc the callousness of the Debenhams closure has heaped on their lives.
“We are going in in twos. Everyone is doing a great job. We are being very careful with sanitising and masks. Even if they gave us the €3 million. So we would be walking away with something in our pockets.
“We also want to get the bill passed so this doesn't happen to other people. We have had politicians come down the lane for a photo op. And then they voted against us.
“I thought the Government wouldn't allow the staff to picket at Christmas. But they did.”
When Debenhams shut their Irish branches just before Easter of last year the company said it was “desperately sorry” to have to liquidate its business in this country.
In a statement the company said that they regretted having to close their Irish stores.
“In these unprecedented times, Debenhams is having to make exceptionally difficult decisions.
“Unfortunately, our Irish business has had trading challenges which were exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19.
“In the UK, Debenhams has entered into administration in order to protect its business.
“Regrettably, due to the challenges facing Debenhams Retail (Ireland) Ltd, it is anticipated that an application will be made to appoint a liquidator to the Irish operations.
“As you know Debenhams has already suspended trading in the Republic of Ireland stores and we can confirm that these stores are not expected to reopen.”
Debenhams opened its first outlet in the Republic in the Jervis shopping centre in 1996. Its big expansion in the Republic came in 2006 when it bought the lease for nine Roches Stores outlets nationwide.
Mandate trade union negotiated a redundancy package for Debenhams staff four years ago which included four weeks pay per year of service. This agreement is not being honoured by the company.
The liquidators have previously said that the costs incurred by keeping stock in stores and not progressing the realisation of assets was running in to hundreds of thousands of euro a month.
