News

After thousands of Irish Dunnes workers and their supporters took to the streets in Dublin on 6 June 2015, UNI offered its firm support for the protest centred on low-hour contracts, which UNI affiliate Mandate says offers no security to workers in terms of income and working hours.

Protestors in Dublin were calling on Dunnes to introduce banded hour contracts which would give workers more certainty and security with regard to working hours and pay as well as strongly criticizing the Dunnes Stores owners for failing to negotiate with Mandate, and failing to meet demands on contracted employment and union recognition.

Head of UNI Commerce, Alke Boessiger said “UNI stands in full solidarity with Dunnes Stores workers and is ready to further support them and their union Mandate in their struggle.”

“For more than a year, Dunnes Stores workers have asked the company to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the union in order to have secure incomes and decent conditions of employment. The fact that they still refuse to engage directly with Mandate Trade Union is unacceptable. We strongly condemn the retaliation measures by Dunnes against workers that express their just demands for better pay and safe jobs and the discrimination against striking workers.”

Last week, the UNI Europa Commerce Conference adopted a statement of solidarity demanding that Dunnes respect the basic tenets of Decent Work, including:

• The implementation of banded hour contracts which would give workers security of hours and earnings.
• Fair pay for all workers in Dunnes Stores.
• A review of Dunnes’ excessive use of temporary contracts of employment
• Individual and collective representational rights for Dunnes Stores workers.