Boycott Aramark.

In Blogby Rashers TierneyLeave a Comment

Above: A graphic from the Trinity campaign pointing out other cheap eats in town.


Settling into your dinner? Aramark Ireland has the contracts for three direct provision centres here. And are now finding themselves being boycotted on two college campuses in Ireland as a result.

They company received €5.2 million from the state for services to three direct provision centres. They are located in Kinsale, Lissywollen, and Knockalisheen in Limerick.

The campaign started in Trinity, where they are currently running a petition calling on the college board to terminate its contract with the company.

Meanwhile out in Belfield, according to the UCD based University Times:

Cian O’Farrell, an organiser of the “Aramark Off UCD” campaign, said he was “appalled” when he learnt that the company operated in UCD. “We do not think a company who profits millions and millions from the incarceration of vulnerable people is in line with UCD community standards”, he said in an email statement to The University Times.

Aramark’s international reputation proceeds them. Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer prize winning journo shed some light on the muck served up by Aramark in the States:

“Many of those incarcerated in prisons or jails such as Union County Jail in Elizabeth, N.J., where Aramark runs the food service, echo Jordan’s account. They say that sickness and persistent hunger are becoming a routine part of being incarcerated. “The food gives everybody in the jail diarrhea,” said James Gibbs, 52, who recently spent two weeks in Union County Jail and previously had spent two years there. “There was never enough food. People were hungry all the time.”

Al Gordon, 45, said he was in Union County Jail when nearly everyone came down with food poisoning from tacos. “It was awful,” he said when we spoke in Elizabeth. “All the prisoners, except the ones who were vegetarian and who did not eat the meat in the tacos, had diarrhea for three days. Whenever we tried to eat anything for those three days we threw it back up. We were all sweating and felt dizzy.”

Top marks to the UCD and Trinner students that spurred this movement into action. It was sitting there in plain sight as a solidarity tactic for donkeys years.

Aramark also own Avoca, the consumer retail brand of choice for posh auld ones across the land. Sure you were probably giving them a wide berth anyway.

Back in 2014 we covered how residents of Lissywollen Direct Provision Centre in Athlone refused food in a dispute with, that’s right, you guessed it – Aramark.

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