Butchers agree to end their strike

Butchers at Superquinn voted yesterday to accept a Labour Court recommendation and end their nine-day-old strike.

Butchers at Superquinn voted yesterday to accept a Labour Court recommendation and end their nine-day-old strike.

The action by about 120 SIPTU members had caused the closure of meat counters at the group's 13 outlets in Dublin, Bray and Naas since the beginning of last week. Normal service will be restored at the company's outlets today.

The union and management welcomed the Labour Court's clarification of an earlier recommendation, which brought about a resolution of the dispute.

The court said that the butchers' claim for an 8 per cent pay rise, backdated to September 1st last, should be met in full.

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Mr Brendan Carr, of SIPTU, said that the union had agreed to enter discussions on new work practices, but the action taken by members had been "fully vindicated".

Non-specialist staff working at meat counters received a pay rise last September after agreeing to more flexible work practices. The butchers, traditionally better paid that their co-workers, had sought a restoration of the wage differential.

The strike caused the closure for one day of the company's flagship outlet in Blackrock, Co Dublin, when workers from other unions refused to pass the SIPTU pickets.

Chris Dooley

Chris Dooley

Chris Dooley is Foreign Editor of The Irish Times