Penneys and Mandate agree new pay deal for 3,000 workers
Wednesday 3 February 2010Workers in Penneys have balloted in favour of a new set of proposals which will give staff a pay increase of 3.5% in 2010 as part of the Towards 2016 Transitional pay agreement. The members voted by a margin of 94% in favour of the new deal with 6% opposing it.
Penneys employ approximately 3,000 workers in 38 stores throughout Ireland.
Mandate say that they approached Penneys last year regarding the payment of the National Wage Agreement (NWA) and under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) they have managed to secure a deal with the company.
Rather than paying the first part of the deal in full, Penneys and Mandate have agreed that phase one of the NWA will be paid in two separate instalments. The first will involve a 2% increase in pay from 1 January 2010 with a further 1.5% increase due from 1 June 2010.
Linda Tanham, Assistant General Secretary of Mandate Trade Union said, “While Mandate recognises that some companies in Ireland are experiencing some difficulties as a result of the recession, there are others who have not been as affected as others. It is vital for this country, and indeed this economy that companies in a position to pay the terms of the negotiated National Wage Agreement do so in order to help get this country back on track by generating more consumer spending in the economy.
“We will be revisiting phase two of the National Wage Agreement with Penneys at a later date,” concluded Ms Tanham.
