406 days The Debenhams Picket Line film launched
THE mammoth 406-day strike by Debenham workers is the focus of a documentary that launched this week at the Dublin International Film Festival.
Tallaght Producer Fergus Dowd and Director Joe Lee have made a 90-minute documentary about the Debenhams strike which took place across the country, including the picket line at The Square in Tallaght throughout the ordeal.
The film ‘406 days The Debenhams Picket Line’ will premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival sponsored by Virgin Media on March 4, at the Lighthouse Cinema, Smithfield.
Approximately 1,000 people at 11 Debenhams stores nationally, were unceremoniously let go on April 9, 2020, via a generic email.
It led to one of the longest strike actions in the history of the State, as staff, many of whom were working with the retailer for up to 30 years, fought for a fair redundancy package.
“We began filming in March 2022, and travelled the country,” Fergus told The Echo.
“Carol Quinn and Brian Roche (former Debenhams, Tallaght staff) did sit down interviews and the Tallaght workers are in the film. We filmed in December out at The Square.
“The film is in a human rights competition at the festival. It is a 90 minute documentary, very much a human interest story telling the strike through the stories of the workers who took part.”
The film was supported by South Dublin County Council’s Arts and Heritage.
Eventually, in May 2020, workers voted to accept a revised €3 million training fund, which finally brought to an end a long drawn out dispute. However, the campaign was not in vain, and it could yet lead to better workers rights.
Solidarity TD Mick Barry brought the Companies (Protection of Employees’ Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021, dubbed the Debenhams Bill, to the Dáil in 2021.
If passed, legislation would make workers preferential creditors in a liquidation so they would be paid what they were owed as a priority.
Fergus said the Bill is currently at stage 3.
“Workers are still waiting for the Workplace Relations Commission result,” he said.
