Estee Lauder Dispute Highlights The Need For Strong Unions In Times Of Recession
The plight of the Estee Lauder workers has again highlighted the critical importance of the organised labour movement during periods of economic turmoil, such as the one we are all now living through.
The workers, who are all based at Dublin airport, are being forced by the company to accept compulsory redundancies before reapplying for their old jobs - but on inferior pay and conditions.
Estee Lauder is a US-headquartered multinational operation with over 45,000 employees. In 2019 it took in almost $15,000,000,000 in revenue and recording massive profits. While Covid-19 has impacted on the companies operations, it remains a hugely wealthy entity.
Despite this wealth, Estee Lauder management are attempting to use a temporary crisis as a means to impose permanently reduced wages and working conditions on their workers. This attitude has left the Dublin workers with no choice only to strike for their pay, conditions and dignity.
To date the workers have withdrawn their labour on Monday, September 21st and Friday September 25th.
Striking Estee Lauder workers at Dublin Airport
Estée Lauder’s behaviour is symptomatic of how large multinationals operate during periods of crisis - sacrificing loyal workers to protect profit margins and shareholders. In an era of globalised capitalism, faceless boardrooms on the other side of the world regularly determine the futures of Irish workers.
Only a strong and organised working class - both here in Ireland and across the world - can push back against globalised capitalism; a political and economic ideology that will ultimately destroy the conditions of workers everywhere.
Estée Lauder and Debenhams aren’t the only companies that are using the Covid-19 crisis to evade their responsibilities to their workers. Many other companies are taking similar actions, but they are doing so against non-unionised workforces. Without strong unions to back them up these workers have little choice but to meekly accept the diktats of their bosses.
Strong trade unions are important at all times, but never more so than during periods of economic and political crisis. They are one of the key bulwarks against a capitalist system that will inevitably infringe on both workers rights and human rights.
Éirígí For A New Republic stands with the Estée Lauder and Debenhams workers in their fights for justice.
And we strongly encourage all workers to join a trade union today, in preparation for the inevitable battle that will come tomorrow or at some point in the future.