ONE OF the unions in Dunnes Stores is to hold a strike ballot of its members next Tuesday.
Although the Marine Port and `General Workers' Union is the smallest union involved in the current dispute with the company, its action could act as a catalyst in bringing out SIPTU and Mandate members.
The latter union represents over 90 per cent of all sales and floor staff in the company.
Last week employees rejected the latest settlement terms from the company in their long running dispute by a majority of 14 to one. This was largely because of lack of progress in talks based on a return to work formula produced by the Labour Court to settle last summer's bitter three week strike.
In its latest terms the company offered to pay a 3 per cent productivity increase to staff only from January 1st this year, although the court recommended retrospect ion to last September.
SIPTU and Mandate are still to decide their next step following last week's ballot result.
If the MPGWU ballot results in a vote for strike action, as expected, it will only affect stores in The Square and Kilnamanagh branches, in Tallaght, Co Dublin. But it is likely to accelerate responses from the other unions.
Mandate has already launched a publicity campaign to prepare the public for a return to the picket lines by its members.
A union spokesman said it gave out 30,000 badges to participants and onlookers at last Sunday's women's mini marathon in Dublin with the slogan, "I'm still backing the Dunnes Stores Workers.
Dunnes Stores was one of the sponsors of the event.
The company says the Mandate campaign can only be counterproductive and make it more difficult for talks to be resumed, or to achieve its objectives.