James Wyse

[Pollboy Dasher]

Thank you Antony for keeping us informed. It will still be a while before i buy Green Isle produce. 

[Whack]

The battle for John Recto still goes on.
Green Isle Foods battle over but the battle to stop the deportation of Recto family has just begun

 

March 4th, 2010.

 

The Green Isle Foods dispute has been settled. It was unanimously accepted by all the workers and I just want to thank everyone who worked so hard for them.

The next battle is to save John Recto, his wife Liezel and their three children, one of whom was born in Ireland and has an Irish passport from deportation. If this can happen because a non-EU national had the courage of his convictions and stood up for what he believed was right by joining the Green Isle Foods hunger strike, Ireland will be a poorer place.

I will update everyone as soon as I can.

In solidarity,

Padraig Yeates

[Kintrop]

This is an outrage if true, can somebody post a link to some objective media coverage, something that does not originate from SIPTU and does not invoke the spirit of fallen heros of old.

Objective media is non-existent. The fact that these men went on hunger strike was nothing short of a disgrace and the only reason it ended was because Green Isle was getting hit in the pocket is an abomination and typical of what this country has become. Now it is time to stop the deportation of John Recto. Whack, fair play for highlighting this.

[damomac]

This is an outrage if true, can somebody post a link to some objective media coverage, something that does not originate from SIPTU and does not invoke the spirit of fallen heros of old.

Objective media is non-existent. The fact that these men went on hunger strike was nothing short of a disgrace and the only reason it ended was because Green Isle was getting hit in the pocket is an abomination and typical of what this country has become. Now it is time to stop the deportation of John Recto. Whack, fair play for highlighting this.

Great that this dispute has been resolved to the workers' satisfaction and I hope the next stage is also successful: John Recto should not be punished for standing up for a legal right.

There is some objectivity out there and some very hard-working journalists. To its credit, the Irish Times first reported on this story on August 31, the day the strike started. Fair enough, it didn't return to the story until the hunger strike was called. Still, of all the newspapers and other media active in Ireland, the Irish Times is the best. And it pays correspondents to file copy from abroad.

[Whack]

 

There is some objectivity out there and some very hard-working journalists. To its credit, the Irish Times first reported on this story on August 31, the day the strike started. Fair enough, it didn't return to the story until the hunger strike was called. Still, of all the newspapers and other media active in Ireland, the Irish Times is the best. And it pays correspondents to file copy from abroad.

Yes maybe I was a bit hard on The Irish Times but as a reader of the paper and knowing the high standards that it sets itself I was a little disappointed in its coverage of this story.

[The Grunt]

Thanks for the links Skinner

[Whack]

This is the latest update on the John Recto situation.

 John Recto deportation – please lobby your TDs and councilors

 

March 5th, 2010.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the TEEU are making representations on behalf of John Recto and his family to stop their deportation. John was the third man to join the Green Isle Foods hunger strike. He has worked at the Naas plant for eight years.

His family joined him in Naas from the Philippines five years ago. His two oldest children grew up in Ireland and his youngest child was born here.

They now face deportation because his work visa has not been renewed. If the Labour Court Recommendation on the dispute had been accepted by the company he would not be in this situation.

Please lobby your local TDs and councilors on his behalf. If John Recto and his family are deported it will send out a message to all non-EU workers in Ireland not to join a union, or stand by their colleagues in a dispute.

Contact: Padraig Yeates, PYE Comm, 087 260 5297             

[Whack]

Latest update on the John Recto situation.
John Recto Petition

 

There is a petition to protest at the deportation of John Recto, his wife Liezel and their three children to the Philippines Ireland at www.teeu.ie and we would ask you to sign it.

ICTU General Secretary David Begg and TEEU General Secretary Designate Eamon Devoy have written to the Naturalisation and Immigration Service seeking a stay on the deportation and the Migrant Rights Centre has also taken up the cause of the Rectos. 

John was the third man to join the hunger strike in protest at unfair dismissals and the fight for union recognition at Green Isle Foods in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland that was launched earlier this month. The dispute has now been resolved and the outcome was unanimously accepted by the workers.

However John Recto’s work visa has not been renewed and he now faces deportation. He has lived in Ireland for eight years and worked throughout that period, apart from the six months he has just spent on the picket line.

His wife Liezel joined him with their two oldest children aged seven and six, five years ago. The children have lived virtually all their lives in Ireland. The couple’s youngest child, one year old, was born in Ireland.

The Rectos applied for naturalisation in 2008.

He stood by his fellow workers during the strike. If he is deported it will be taken as a warning that non-EU citizens can only work here so long as they keep their heads down and do not look for their rights in the workplace.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Padraig Yeates 

[Whack]

Good News
Third Green Isle Foods hunger striker receives new work visa

 

March 9th, 2010.

John Recto, the third Green Isle Foods worker to join the hunger strike over the unfair dismissal of trade union  members at the plant last July received a new work visa today from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service. His last visa ran out yesterday.

He was informed last Wednesday, the same day he joined the hunger strike, his existing visa would not be renewed and it was taken from him, along with that of his wife Liezel. John Recto had worked at the Green Isle Foods facility in Naas for eight years and his wife had joined him from the  Philippines five years ago along with their sons Shaun and Kenan. Last year the couple had another son Emmanuel John, who was born in Ireland. They applied for naturalisation in 2008.

The dispute was resolved last Thursday. On the same day Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary David Begg and the General Secretary Designate of the Technical and Engineering Union Eamon Devoy wrote to the INIS requesting that the Recto family be allowed to stay. The Migrants Rights Centre and the General President of SIPTU Jack O’Connor also made representations on behalf of the family.

Among several public representatives at national and local level who expressed concern at the family’s plight were TD Labour Willie Penrose, Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris.

Today John Recto thanked all his friends in Naas and the TEEU who had stood by him over the past six months, public representatives and all those who had signed the TEEU petition or contacted the Government on his behalf.

Contact: Padraig Yeates, PYE Comm, 01 828 4510 and 087 2650 5297

[Hillcrestonian]

Good News
Third Green Isle Foods hunger striker receives new work visa

Nice one.

And thanks for bringing the petition to our attention Whack.

[Whack]

Thanks to everyone on the forum who took the time to sign the petition.

[Pollboy Dasher]

Thanks for keeping us informed Whack. Hopefully the petition helps a bit.

[hymany]

 Delighted to see Mr.Recto has a new work visa, hopefully his Family can breath a little easier now.

[Whack]

Thanks for keeping us informed Whack. Hopefully the petition helps a bit.

With the political situation being the way it is and a general election about to be called at any time, this petition would certainly have sharpened a few of our politicians minds.
Yes Dasher the petition did help.
Thanks again, everyone.