DUBLIN DEPARTMENT store Clerys has asked its staff to move to a four-day week in a bid to help the retailer save money and avoid the need for redundancies.

It is understood that Clerys, which occupies a landmark site on O’Connell Street, wants to implement the reduced working time for a 39-week period, which would take them up to the run-in to the busy Christmas shopping period.

The move will effectively cut workers’ pay by 20 per cent for the period involved. It will also hit staff at Guineys on Talbot Street, a subsidiary of Clerys.

This news follows Debenhams’ decision to seek 170 redundancies at its Irish stores.

Clerys’ workers were informed of the proposal earlier this week and are set to ballot on the measure in the coming days.

Linda Tanham, assistant general secretary Mandate, indicated that the union was likely to recommend that its members accept the proposal.

“We’re prepared to recommend it to try and avoid job losses,” she said.

No comment was available from Clerys.

About 120 staff will be affected by the move, which impacts on those directly employed by Clerys. Staff employed by concessionaries in the department store are not affected.

Workers are represented by Mandate and Siptu.

Sales at Clerys fell by 10 per cent in the year to the end of January 2009 as consumer demand slumped with the onset of recession.

The retailer made a loss of €308,613 in the 12-month period compared with a profit of €1.66 million in the previous year.

The O’Connell Street department store opened in 1853 and was one of the first purpose-built department stores in the world.