Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

"It felt like they were treating us like animals. It didn't feel fair. It felt like they were violating our privacy." Workers at JD Sports in Patrick's Street in Cork have, in the last week, highlighted the fact that they are regularly asked to lift their tops and show their bare stomach area to store managers. The store says the policy is part of its campaign against shop lifting. It already has the right to search bags and jackets when workers leave the shop. There is a real power imbalance here. On the one hand, we have an international corporation which is predicted to make over £1 billion this year, while, on the other, we have a group of young workers from Cork. It would be helpful if the Taoiseach commented on this in the Dáil and perhaps indicate whether he feels if there might be a basis for some legislative change to outlaw situations such as this.

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