The planned takeover of the Doyle Hotel Group by Jurys has been welcomed by SIPTU, the union which represents the majority of workers in both companies.
Mr Frank O'Malley, head of SIPTU's hotel and catering branch, said the move ends a period of unease and uncertainty among employees at the Doyle Group because of difficulties within the Doyle family.
"There was a fear that one, two or even three of the premises within the Doyle hotel chain would have been sold to resolve the problems within the family. "People were understandably concerned about their jobs in the case of any of the hotels being sold off. This decision cements and protects those jobs into the foreseeable future."
He welcomed the statement by Jurys that no job losses were envisaged and that employment could increase. However, he said, he would be concerned if any of the hotels were sold off.
"We know that mergers in the past have resulted in job losses but we'd take comfort from the fact that the sale of hotels does not seem to be part of the takeover plan."
He added that both hotel groups were "among the better employers" in the State. "From the point of view of unionisation they are far better than a number of large and smaller hotels in Dublin. They are both quite comfortable with a lot of things like a partnership approach to industrial relations problems."
Up to 1,500 of the 1,650 employees in Jurys and 1,200 of the 1,400 full-time and seasonal employees in the Doyle group are members of SIPTU.
Unlike many new hotels which, he claimed, "are only in the industry for a quick buck", both Jurys and the Doyle group "are committed to providing training, adequate remuneration and enhancing the Irish tourism product for the future".
He said the hourly rate for administrative, front-house and kitchen staff within both groups was roughly £6£7, compared to £4 "at some of the bigger hotels in Dublin". An exact rate is difficult to calculate, he said, as it depended on seasonal factors and the division of service charges.
He said both groups were also ahead of other hotels by offering generous holiday pay and pension schemes.
"I don't see any difficulties in harmonising entitlements. They are both very close in what they offer their employees," he added. However, he said, one issue of negotiation would be access to shares, which are available to employees of Jurys but not the Doyle group.
Mr Eamonn McKeown, chairman of the national tourism training agency CERT, said the takeover "can only be seen as good for the development of tourism in Dublin".
He said: "Both are very good employers, both are committed to a very high level of professionalism and CERT would be looking forward to working closely with the new entity."
Mr Brendan Leahy, chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, said the takeover move was an indication of the strength of confidence in the industry at present. He said the most positive aspect of the takeover would be in terms of international marketing. "Bord Failte and other bodies can do their best marketing overseas and creating a brand image for Ireland, but there is nothing like a strong company with its own marketing resources for generating interest overseas."
