Striking Dunnes workers may get social welfare

June 1995

ALL 300 plus striking Dunnes Stores workers in Kerry may be entitled to Social Welfare payments for the duration of the strike. Mandate union official Bill Kelly told The Kerryman this week.

Workers who were receiving social welfare payments while working part-time at the Dunnes Stores’ three outlets in Killarney and Tralee have continued to receive social welfare, according to Mr Kelly.

Mandate is now appealing against the decision by the Department of Social Welfare not to give social welfare to full-time workers and parttime workers who work shorter hours on a five-day weekbasis.

Only 18 of the 125 staff in Killarney are in fulltime positions with Dunnes while in the two Tralee stores only 20 of the 185 people employed are in full-time employment.

“We have done everything by the letter of the law and it is only now that Dunnes Stores have agreed to go to the Labour court. Because Dunnes have not negotiated with us prior to the strike we feel our members were forced to strike and are entitled to social welfare,” said Mr Kelly.

Tanaiste Dick Spring, a member of SIPTU, joined striking workers on the picket-line at the Dunnes Stores outlet on the North Circular Road in Tralee and Mr Kelly said this was a massive boost to Mandate members.

“They were thrilled that Dick Spring came to show solidarity and made himself available to them over the weekend,” said Mr Kelly.

As the strike enters its 11th day Dunnes Stores have lost an estimated £lm in sales through its three Kerry stores with competing outlets in Kerry reporting increases in turnover of up to 50pc.

There have been no reported lay-offs of any workers in Kerry companies supplying Dunnes Stores as a result of the nationwide strike by Mandate workers who want a ban on compulsory Sunday working at flat rates of pay and end to zero-hour contracts.

The controversial zerohour contract means part-time workers have to be available to work but have no guarantee of work. Strikers are also looking for the introduction of pension and sick pay schemes

Siobhan Enright and Máiread O’Sullivan at the Fianna Fáil Dance in the Listowel Arms Hotel.