2,500 Dunnes Stores workers demand 10% Covid payment and 20% staff discount to be made permanent
Monday 16 August 2021Dunnes workers to deliver petition to Dunnes Stores’ Head Office
More than 2,500 Dunnes Stores workers have signed a petition calling on the company to make their temporary 10 percent Covid payment and 20 percent staff bonus permanent.
Last year workers in Dunnes successfully campaigned for the temporary measures to be put in place as recognition for their hard work and the risks to their health and safety during the global pandemic. Now the workers want the measures to be made permanent.
Cathy who works in the Dundalk store said:
“We haven’t had a pay increase since 2019 but we’ve had a temporary 10% allowance added to our pay last year. That isn’t factored into our pensions or if we go on holidays we lose out. We think, after the last 18 months of working very hard through a deadly pandemic, that the least Dunnes can do is recognise our efforts by making these changes permanent.”
Anna who works in the Ongar store said:
“Grocery sales have been exceptionally busy since the pandemic and we’ve seen reports of most retailers having an extra 17% of spending. We’ve been dealing with more customers and processing more goods. We know that Dunnes can afford this and we feel we deserve it after all we’ve been through.”
Today at 1pm a number of the Dunnes Stores workers will be presenting the signatures of the 2,500 workers to management in Head Office on Georges Street in the hopes it will convince them to make the Covid payment and staff discount permanent.
Padraig from the Clonakilty store explained:
“Head Office know how hard we’ve worked but we want to show management that we’re determined to make these changes permanent. That’s why we’re delivering these petitions today. It’s been a tough time for all of us but the company is doing very well so it’s time we were all rewarded fairly.”
The petition states:
“We, the undersigned staff working in Dunnes Stores, call on you to make the 10% pay rise and 20% discount card permanent. We worked hard keeping Dunnes Stores running and serving our communities through Covid-19. We feel this is something we have earned.”
