Mandate delegation meet Taoiseach in effort to resolve Debenhams dispute

Thursday 19 November 2020

A Mandate Trade Union delegation comprising of Gerry Light, Mandate General Secretary and three ex-Debenhams shop stewards, Jane Crowe (Henry St, Dublin), Valarie Conlon (Patrick Street, Cork) and Michelle Gavin (Waterford), met this morning with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and a team of senior officials from his department in an effort to find a solution to the protracted Debenhams dispute.

More than 1,000 workers lost their jobs in April of this year as the company entered liquidation. Since then, the workers have been on strike for 224 days.

Mandate General Secretary Gerry Light said: “We used the opportunity to once again urge An Taoiseach to use his office to create the circumstances which would bring an end to the current dispute.”

In a briefing to Debenhams members on the outcome of the meeting, Light explained, “He  (An Taoiseach) said, notwithstanding current statutory constraints, he and his team were continuing to explore how this might be done and they were in the process of identifying a suitable individual or body who might be able assist the parties in arriving at a mutually acceptable resolution.”

He added, “Importantly the Taoiseach committed to meet again with the union delegation early next week in order to update us further.”