Management at retailer Argos and trade union Mandate are to go back to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) tomorrow in a bid to avert industrial action scheduled for next week.
Pickets are due to be placed at Argos outlets around the country next Tuesday as part of a dispute over pay. The union has maintained that, up to 2006, it had an agreement with the company under which both sides would discuss pay increases.
Mandate says last year the company abandoned this process and reverted to the national wage agreement. The union has sought a 10 per cent pay increase for staff, more than that available under the Towards 2016 deal.
Argos has said it is following Towards 2016 and that this had been ratified by the LRC and the Labour Court.
Yesterday, Mandate assistant general secretary Linda Tanham said it was going back to the LRC.
"We have always said that we are available to discuss the problems in a constructive way. We are preparing for industrial action next week, but we are still hopeful a solution may be found," she said.
Argos said it would be attending the LRC talks tomorrow. "We remain fully committed to further dialogue with Mandate . . . to avert any further industrial action," it said.
Mandate placed pickets on some 30 Argos outlets earlier this month. It said Argos management had brought in staff from the UK during the dispute.