Mandate seeks meeting with Elverys Sports management
Tuesday 18 March 2014MANDATE TRADE UNION has written to Patrick Rowland, CEO of Elverys Sports, seeking an urgent meeting to establish whether the union and company can work together to safeguard the 700 jobs in Elverys Sports.
The union says it is broadly supportive of a new campaign launched by the management team – SOS Elverys 700 – which aims to protect the 700 hundred jobs in the company but the union also wants to ensure that all terms and conditions of employment are protected too.
Mandate also wishes to establish on what criteria the management team feels their bid is in the best interest of the staff in concern.
Mandate’s Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Light said, “It appears that Mandate and Elverys Sports management have a shared objective during this uncertain time for all Elverys Sports staff. We want to protect all of the jobs in the company throughout Ireland and we also want to ensure that whoever the new owner is, all terms and conditions of employment are protected too.”
Elverys Sports entered examinership during February and the examiner is currently evaluating which bidder will take ownership of the company in the future. One of the interested parties in the company is billionaire owner of Newcastle United, Mike Ashley. However, management at Elverys Sports claim their bid is in the best interests of the staff.
Mr Light said, “We have written to the company on behalf of our expanding membership in Elverys Sports in order to establish what the future plans are by management and to see if we can work together to ensure that all terms and conditions enjoyed by our members today can be protected in the future.”
Mr Light concluded by saying, “In the past, Mandate has proactively engaged in similar circumstances and has achieved significant success on behalf of workers in a number of retail outlets.”
