Film depicting epic Debenhams picket to be screened as part of May Day programme

On Friday, April 28, ‘406 Days - The Debenhams Picket Line' will be shown in the Waterside Theatre at 8pm.

The film tells the story of a 406 day picket mounted after 1,000 Debenhams workers were made redundant in 2020.

A number of the workers will take part in a panel discussion.

Among them will be Carol Quinn who was shop steward in Tallaght, Dublin, where she worked at Roches Stores and then Debenhams in The Square for 30 years.

Ms. Quinn explains how the saga began at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We all got a generic email saying your job is gone,” she said, explaining it had been ‘a very difficult day'.

“People had taken out mortgages. People had young babies. People were very worried about their financial situation,” she added.

The workers were told they would receive only statutory redundancy and decided to picket loading bays to stop goods being removed from stores.

“We felt that could be part of our compensation, our redundancy money, if we could stop the stock going out. That was our only leverage at the time.”

Madeline Whelan worked at Roches Stores and Debenhams for three decades and picketed the Patrick Street store in Cork.

“It was surreal. It didn't matter if you were five years working or 35 years, each one of us got the same generic email. I couldn't believe it.

“They should have made sure there was a Zoom meeting where we were all told, not a generic email.

“We didn’t sleep for 406 days because we had people sitting in cars at night. It was an awful responsibility. Some of them were only 22 and 23 sitting in cars on the street. It was a mental strain,” she told the ‘Journal.’

Fergus Dowd, the producer of the film said he hoped the screening in Derry will further raise awareness of the women’s inspirational campaign.

“Through negotiations with the Irish government after 406 days of picketing the workers were offered a €3m training fund.

“Most of the workers were female – grandmothers and mothers. To date only 17 per cent (519k) of the fund has been used and more than €2.9m will return to the Irish state in October 2023,” he said.

Ms. Quinn said she was pleased their story is reaching a wide audience.

"When the book came out there was huge excitement. We never thought we would get a documentary. I'll never forget, to the day I die, the night it was shown in he Light House Cinema [in Smithfield, Dublin]. It was amazing. It was scary and upsetting in parts. We had my family and they didn't realise what we had gone through.

“I'm still involved, myself, personally, in trying to get the law changed. I've been talking to some politicians. Workers shouldn't be at the bottom of the creditors' list. We should be at the top. So it's ongoing,” she said.

The screening is taking place as part of Derry Trade Union Council’s May Day Workers’ Rights & Social Justice Week from April 24 to May 1.