THE
The official publication of Maynooth Students’ Union
Tuesday 31st January 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 7
theprint@nuimsu.com
Maynooth students among members of successful La Senza Occupation LYNDSEY FARRELL
Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor @TheLyndog On Monday 9th January, employees of lingerie chain La Senza gathered from across the country and began what would be a five-day sit-in in the Liffey Valley branch, demanding unpaid wages from their former employers. Three among them were students currently enrolled within NUI Maynooth. The lingerie company went into administration that very day, and staff were informed in a rather heartless letter that they no longer had jobs. David Standish, one of the appointed administrators wrote, “Following the appointment and the closure of the La Senza outlets we wish to confirm that your employment with the company has been terminated with effect from 9th January 2012.” The letter had been dated 11th January. Many staff members who had not yet received their letters were informed of the news upon arrival at work. At this point, the employees had still not been paid for working over-time at Christmas and were told they would have to wait for up to a year for statutory redundancy entitlements. Lynn HigginsGill, former supervisor at the Liffey Valley branch, claimed that the staff were continuously lied to about the future of the shop and the company itself. When “Closing Down” signs were put up on shop windows, staff were informed that they were simply “procedural”. Outraged by how they were being treated, the employees of the Liffey Valley store decided to stage a sit-in. Evelyn Gaynor, a former employee of this store spoke to the Irish Times about the sit-in, “It’s not just about the money. It’s about how workers are
being treated by these big companies who think they can come in and then trample over workers when they’ve no more use for them. We have to stand up for ourselves because it doesn’t look like the Government is going to.” The workers also received a lot of support from people across the country. Maynooth Students’ Union were just some of many who visited the workers throughout the week, bringing with them supplies such as coffee, money, dry shampoo and the occasional Big Mac. A Facebook page was also set up by those staging the sit-in, as a means to get their story across. The page, entitled “Full Support for La Senza sit-in”, included a simple statement: “Our aim is simple; To get what we are entitled to for the hard work we put in.” This page alone managed to receive over four thousand “likes” supporting the employees. The Mandate Trade Union, which represented the workers, orchestrated meetings between the administrators and the workers. These meetings would eventually lead to victory for the staff members. On Friday 13th January, after five days of sitting in the empty store, the workers were informed that they would finally be paid the money they were owed as soon as possible. La Senza was first opened in Dorval, Quebec, Canada in 1990. Since then it had grown to include more than 300 stores in Canada and a further 487 stores in 45 other countries worldwide. Included in these were eight shops across Ireland, including concessions in Debenhams department stores and of course their Liffy Vally outlet. The company is wholly owned by Limited Brands of Columbus, Ohio.
The storefront of La Senza Liffey Valley during the sit-in protest
Maynooth named Ireland’s ‘Friendliest College’ ÁINE KIRWAN News Co-Editor @kirwanaine
In a recent poll among 10,000 third level students, the results have shown that NUI Maynooth was voted the friendliest college in Ireland. The poll also concluded that University of Limerick to be the most sociable university and that 32% of Trinity students describe the atmosphere on campus as “pretentious”. Coursehub.ie continues to give NUI Maynooth a positive name by giving Social Life, Academics, Campus, Sports and Entertainment a rating of 4 stars out of a possible 5. Possibly a new fact to some, the site mentions that the University is populated by 55% Male’s and 45% Female’s, with 5,453 of 8,000 students being undergraduate students. The page is generated by current and alumni students’ feedback. One third year student comments on how he would recommend NUI
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Maynooth to a friend by stating, “I’d just tell them how great it is really”, with another 4th year student adding that “It’s a very friendly, small cosy place to go to college with a great nightlife.” Although, the small University town was not up to standard for one student as he mentions the cost of transport as an issue. “Getting out to Maynooth from Dublin is expensive and the town is fairly barren. You need to make friends out there for it to be tolerable (or enjoyable even) because there is nothing else out there to pass the time besides the college PC’s.” This is not the first time that NUI Maynooth has been highly regarded by education critiques. In 2008, NUI Maynooth had been named “University of the Year” in the Sunday Times University Guide. The title was given due to a record number of CAO first preferences along and the best access programme for disadvantaged schools in the country. Within the 12 months of the previous award been given by the Sunday Times University Guide, NUI Maynooth had launched five new
degrees including Law & Arts, Business & Law and Science Education. NUIM President at the time, Prof John Hughes, praised the award as “a great accolade for the university. The award recognises the priority we place on ensuring the best student experience.” The outlook is even bleaker for postgraduate students, whose muchneeded grants have been axed altogether, forcing future masters/PhD students to fund their studies entirely from their own coffers. Previously, postgraduate students could avail of grants ranging from €315 - €3,120 depending on income, family size and the distance they live from their college, much like their undergraduate counterparts. Given the cost of pastgraduate courses, the scrapping of this scheme will have dire consequences for many future graduates seeking to further their education.
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Maynooth students having their famed banter
Printed in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford via Datascope and Impression LTD.