Mandate Trade Union seek urgent meeting with B&Q management regarding appointment of Examiner
Thursday 31 January 2013The Mandate Trade Union is seeking an urgent meeting with B&Q management following today’s announcement that the company has gone into Examinership.
Mandate, which represents a significant number of workers at the home improvement retailer, say that their members are very concerned about their future and it is important that they and their representatives are kept informed of developments at this very stressful time.
Mandate Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Light said, “The workers are obviously going to be very concerned about their future, particularly those in the two stores earmarked for closure (Athlone & Waterford), and also the other two unnamed locations which management say are likely to close.
“We have written to management of B&Q Ireland, who are part of Kingfisher plc, a company which has a multi-billion turnover and we’re seeking an urgent meeting,” said Mr Light.
“While we are somewhat relieved to hear that the stores will continue to trade during the Examinership process, and that the employees will continue to be paid, the workers are entitled to be part of the decisions effecting their futures and as the representative of the employees, Mandate needs to be included in all and any consultations.”
Mr Light added that Mandate has a lot of experience in these situations and stressed the importance for the workers in B&Q to be in the union.
“Mandate has been involved in the Examinership process on several occasions before, including during the turmoil at Superquinn and La Senza, and in both cases, working with our members, we were able to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Over the course of the next one hundred days of the process of Examinership, we will vigorously defend and protect the interests of our members. Logically the safest place for workers in B&Q is in the union, and that stands for all retail workers.” concluded Gerry Light.
