Siptu has called "emergency general meetings" for managers in the Irish-owned books to stationary retailer Eason & Son over a number of compulsory redundancies.

The trade union wrote to its members on Thursday telling them that Eason planned to “unilaterally” let go four staff without its agreement.

It asked members to meet it in Dublin, Cork and Athlone between September 26th and 28th and told them that it would be meeting Eason on September 24th to try and resolve the issue.

Refused

The company it said “have as yet refused to postpone the date of the first of four exits, which is due to take place on the 1st October 2014”.

"The members need to be aware that it may be necessary to conduct a ballot for forms of industrial action and or strike action in the event that we have not yet reached an amicable settlement and the company proceed with the implementation date as outlined and reiterated by them on a number of occasions," Graham Macken, industrial official at Siptu, said in a letter to members.