Arcadia workers vote for enhanced redundancy package

Friday 25 April 2014

Union members to receive double statutory redundancy if stores are restructured

Mandate Trade Union members in the major retail group Arcadia Multiples have today (Friday, 25 April 2014) voted overwhelmingly in favour of an enhanced redundancy package by more than 99%.

As a result of the new agreement, union members in the Arcadia Group – which includes Burtons, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop and Wallis – will receive a redundancy package of four weeks pay per year of service in the event that any of the stores need to be restructured.

The statutory redundancy package is two weeks pay per year of service. The union says the agreement clearly demonstrates the value of being a trade union member in the Arcadia Group.

The agreement also includes provisions and criteria for redeployment in instances of store restructuring.

Brendan O’Hanlon, Mandate Divisional Organiser said, “This new agreement will give our members a greater level of security, including financial security, in the unfortunate event the company needs to restructure any of its stores.

“Non-union workers will not benefit from the new agreement,” he said.

The company has already confirmed that Burtons, Dorothy Perkins and Evans in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre will be restructured on the 16th August. At the moment the union is in the process of seeking redeployments to other stores but in the unfortunate event that redeployment is not an option, Mandate members in those stores will benefit from the new agreement.”

Mr O’Hanlon concluded, “This agreement shows the value of being a union member in this uncertain economic environment, particularly in the retail sector.”