News

UNI Global Union affiliate Mandate Trade Union in Ireland are asking UNI affiliates to support workers fighting Dunnes Stores over the right to a living wage and decent contracts. On March 6, Mandate Trade union members in Dunnes Stores voted to proceed with strike actions.

Employees and the union have attempted to engage in dialogue with the company over issues such as:

• 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 workers.

Head of UNI Commerce Alke Boessiger said, “Dunnes Stores have a duty to listen to their employees. UNI Commerce fully backs the decision of Mandate Trade Union's members to take industrial action if Dunnes continue to refuse to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue over decent work and wages for their employees.”

Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary said: “Our members in Dunnes are extremely disappointed with the behaviour of their company. Dunnes, like every employer in this state have a moral responsibility to their own workers, and they are failing them in this regard. Nobody wants this industrial action to go ahead, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the company who could resolve this dispute with one simple phone call.”

Dunnes workers and their union Mandate have launched an online petition in support of workers in Ireland called “The Decency for Dunnes Workers’ Campaign”.

Support Dunnes workers by signing the petition here: http://dunnesworkers.com/petition/

You can also find all the latest developments on the campaign’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/DecencyForDunnesWorkers