TWO HUNDRED shop stewards in Dunnes Stores will meet today to consider settlement proposals which may end the seven day strike which has closed 73 of the company's branches and is believed to be costing about £2 million a day in lost turnover.
The package was drawn up after lengthy negotiations by unions and management.
Both sides in the bitter dispute were cautious last night and anxious not to appear too optimistic. "We are not out of the woods yet and the shop stewards have yet to discuss the package and the members have to vote on it a Mandate union source said.
The Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, welcomed the breakthrough in the negotiations. He hoped that it would prove to be a "watershed" in relations between Dunnes management, the trade unions and the workforce for the future. I applaud the role played by all parties, including the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, in finding the basis for what I hope will be a lasting resolution to this dispute," Mr Bruton added.
Both unions and management declined to give any details of the agreement. However, it is understood that it includes the payment of the three per cent awarded by the Labour Court last year, backdated to September, 1995. It is also believed to include the creation of 400 full time jobs and putting a company pension scheme in place.
One of the biggest sticking points, according to the was to get a solid from the company whatever agreement was reached would be fully implemented. The unions maintained that Dunnes reneged on the agreement worked out last year. It is understood that a strong grievance procedure has now been put in place to ensure that any problems are dealt with quickly and effectively in the future.
The Fianna Fail spokesman on labour affairs, Mr Tom Kitt TD, said that he hoped the proposals would form the basis for better industrial relations in the company.
The chairman of the Progressive Democrats, Senator John Dardis, hoped that there would be a speedy solution to the strike. He pointed out that hundreds of companies which supply Dunnes Stores with goods and services were already laying off workers. Shops in centres in which Dunnes were anchor tenants were not even opening due to the decline in passing trade resulting from the strike.
While the dispute is said to be costing the company £2 million a day in lost turnover, suppliers and traders hit by the strike are said to be losing £1 million a day.