Update from the Dunnes Stores National Shop Stewards Group

Wednesday 6 March 2013

The Dunnes Stores National Shop Stewards Group has written to all Dunnes Stores members to update them of developments within the company.

The group has explained in the member circular that a national meeting of store based Shop Stewards took place recently in Mandate Trade Union headquarters.

The National Shop Stewards Group said, “At the meeting there was an extremely productive exchange of views and many issues of interest/concern relating to all our members in Dunnes were discussed. As a result the following points of action were agreed;

1. A full endorsement was given to all aspects of the Mandate Trade Union’s ‘Dunnes Stores Strategic Action Plan’. Principally this plan seeks to put in place a range of measures which will ultimately secure and enhance, where possible, the terms and conditions of our members working in Dunnes. Central to its objectives will be the creation of a better organised workplace which will hopefully lead to greater participation of our members in union affairs and eventually increase membership numbers. Another important aspect will be to get senior management to meaningfully engage with your union in accordance with best practice and the obligations placed on them in the terms of the 1996 Union/Company National Agreement.
2. A new national representative group of nine Shop Stewards was elected at the meeting. This group will be principally responsible for overseeing and ensuring the delivery of all aspects of the aforementioned Dunnes Stores Strategic Plan.
3. An instruction was given to write to the company seeking a meeting with regard to contracts of employment having particular regard to the following (you can view this letter by clicking here);

• Protection of established and acceptable weekly hours/earnings
• The abolition of compulsory split days
• The establishment of acceptable weekly minimum hours
• The abolition of roll over contracts
• Protection of established and acceptable patterns of weekly/daily hours
• Standardisation of pay scales/rates.”

The group added, “From an industrial relations perspective your union intends to make the next twelve-months a very busy and rewarding period for our members in Dunnes. We have not only targeted this as one of our main priorities but we are also committing significant resources in our efforts to ensure positive results.

“Together we are more likely to succeed if we have the genuine support and active participation of as many union members as possible. Obviously greater numbers of members help us to convince management that we speak with a strong, unified and determined voice.”

To download the letter from the National Shop Stewards Group, please click here.
To download the letter to Dunnes Stores management, please click here.

Please share this information with your colleagues in Dunnes stores by printing it and distributing it today.