Mon Sep 09 15:18:58 UTC 2024: ## Former Iceland Worker Awarded €8,300 for Strike Retaliation

**Dublin, Ireland** – A former Iceland worker, Jeanette Joyce, has been awarded €8,300 in compensation after a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruling found that she was penalized for her role as a trade union representative. The ruling stemmed from a strike organized by the Independent Workers’ Union (IWU) at the Coolock branch of Iceland in May 2023.

Joyce claimed that she and other IWU representatives attempted to resolve wage discrepancies with Metron Stores, the company that operated Iceland’s stores in Ireland before its liquidation last year. When these efforts failed, they organized a strike.

The WRC found that the CEO of Metron Stores, Naeem Maniar, had pressured Joyce to call off the strike, resorting to personal threats and accusations. Joyce presented evidence of WhatsApp messages sent by Maniar, in which he claimed the strike was being used to bully his children and that the IWU was circulating “false propaganda.”

Furthermore, Maniar personally filed a High Court summons against Joyce, seeking damages for the unlawful strike action. The WRC ruled that these actions constituted a clear attempt to penalize Joyce for her union activities and her role in the strike.

Joyce was also subjected to withholding of wages and a lack of response to a grievance she filed regarding harassment and bullying. Despite the store closing shortly after the strike, the WRC deemed these actions “unbearable” and found that they created an environment of fear and uncertainty for Joyce.

In her ruling, WRC adjudication officer Elizabeth Spelman deemed Joyce’s evidence “credible” and noted that she had provided significant supporting documentation. Spelman concluded that Maniar’s actions, including the High Court summons and WhatsApp messages, were intended to pressure Joyce and penalize her for her union activities.

The award of €8,300 represents six months’ pay for Joyce, who was working part-time at the minimum wage. The WRC found this to be “just and equitable” compensation for the harm she experienced.

**This case highlights the importance of protecting worker rights and ensuring that employees are not penalized for exercising their right to organize and participate in collective bargaining.**

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