Decency for Dunnes Workers

Dunnes Stores management have this week issued four week rosters which will give workers the ability to plan their lives for one month, but will do nothing to address the key issue of security of hours. The new concession shows the Decency for Dunnes Workers campaign is winning – but the new arrangements show Dunnes is completely out of touch with their workers’ demands.

The changes to rosters are another concession made by Dunnes Stores as a result of the campaign – following the company’s concession of two 3 percent pay increases and the implementation of a number of permanent contracts late last year.

Mandate Assistant General Secretary Gerry Light said:

“While this is obviously an improvement in terms of life planning, it can be removed just as quickly as it was implemented, and without notice. It simply means the workers know the hours they’ll have for four weeks, but offers them absolutely no guarantees for the future.

He added, “This is still a long way from where our members want to be – which is to genuinely have a voice and to have security of hours, including banded hour contracts.

“Our members won’t be bought off with temporary concessions, “he said.

“Unfortunately the company is completely misguided in their attempts to address the issue of insecure hours. This reaffirms the need for management to sit down and engage with the workers through their trade union on how to implement meaningful change in relation to security of hours.”

Mr Light said Mandate members in Dunnes Stores can take credit for this change in rostering.

“There’s no doubt this concession, along with all of the other ones, came as a result of the ongoing Decency for Dunnes Workers campaign. Dunnes management can see the workers are united and determined to force greater change. But they also know that the public is very much on their side. It is encouraging to see what unity, solidarity and commitment can do, and our members in Dunnes have now proven that change is possible. Now we’ll go on to make even more long-lasting positive changes at the company,” Mr Light concluded.

The Decency for Dunnes Workers campaign will host a major public solidarity rally at 1pm on Saturday, June 6^th where Dunnes workers, their families, friends and supporters, will march from Merrion Square to Dunnes Head Office on Georges Street.

The Decency for Dunnes Workers campaign was launched just over one year ago with four key demands from workers:

·         Secure hours and earnings

·         Job security

·         Fair pay

·         The right to representation by their trade union.