A-Infos (en) UK, AnarCom: Day of solidarity with Obsidian and Echo (ex) Workers (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Solidarity with the Obsidian and Echo Workers in Belfast - Fired on the 
eve of May Day for organising! ---- Organise! IWA express our solidarity 
with our members who fought for their rights but were fired in 
retaliation! ---- Support the workers! ---- Background: On the eve of 
International Working Women's Day (Saturday 7th March) workers - all 
members of Organise! - IWA - employed at Obsidian and Echo Body Piercing 
Studios walked out of an unsafe work environment.
Their boss and owner of the piercing studios, Pamela W., had refused to 
move on Union recognition and demands from workers that included issues 
around unvaccinated workers being made to carry out fittings and 
piercings. Anyone exposed to bodily fluids and blood as part of their 
work must be vaccinated against Hepatitis B. When customers declared 
that they had HIV or Hepatitis B employees were put under pressure to do 
piercings and fittings regardless - "just double up your latex gloves" 
they were told. Pamela and her management have been given numerous 
opportunities to meet with their employees to resolve issues but instead 
they chose to ignore their workers and put them in danger despite 
claiming to be a "family" that values everyone equally (of course 
managers in both of Pamela's shops are immunised). Issues were first 
officially raised by the workers through their Union when a demand 
letter was handed to management on Saturday 31st January. With no 
movement workers refused to subject themselves to risk of disease for a 
minute longer.

The workers returned to work when their employer made the necessary 
changes to ensure them a safe workplace, and paid them for the duration 
they were absent. But now, all the workers have been sacked on egregious 
charges.

Organise: International Workers Association writes:

"The first indications that the employer was out for 'revenge' against 
workers who had the temerity to ensure their own safety came when two of 
the workers were informed that their contracts as apprentice piercers 
would not be honoured. Then on 1st April a part-time worker showed up 
for their first shift having been told to expect a back to work chat and 
retraining, which they were asked to attend half an hour early to 
complete. Instead she was left on her own to cover the manager's lunch 
break and after about an hour discovered she had been brought back to 
work only to be used as cover before being handed a letter informing her 
that she was being immediately suspended on pay. As other workers 
attended subsequent shifts they were handed similar letters. They were 
then informed that they would be given notice of disciplinaries.

As workers were provided with 'evidence' it became clear that they were 
facing disciplinaries for the walk out on safety grounds under the guise 
of 'damaging trust' with their employer!"

More information is available on the crowdfunding page given in the 
links and on the Organise! IWA website!

As (ex) workers we are in it for the long haul as is Organise! and below 
is the link to the crowdfunder for hardship and campaign costs:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/Xy28qdLW?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink
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Support Obsidain and Echo Workers - Sacked After Winning Safe Workplace 
Victory!
https://organiseanarchistsireland.com/support-obsidain-and-echo-workers-sacked-after-winning-safe-workplace-victory/

https://anarcomuk.uk/2026/05/11/day-of-solidarity-with-obsidian-and-echo-ex-workers/
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