A SIT-IN involving workers at 4Home Superstore in Mitchelstown, Co Cork, was called off last night after management and the union representing the workers agreed to meet on Tuesday to discuss their differences.
The 16 workers decided to stage the sit-in on Thursday after the company announced redundancies without discussions with their union.
The company, partly owned by Dairygold, has also announced plans to close stores in Patrick Street in Fermoy with the loss of eight jobs and Annacotty, Co Limerick, with the loss of 16 jobs.
Siptu representatives in Limerick are to meet 4Home management next week following the company’s sudden decision to close the Annacotty store.
Management told staff that the Mitchelstown store would close tomorrow and that the workers would receive statutory redundancy of two weeks’ pay per year along with notice payments.
Employees at the 4Home Co-Op Superstore in Fermoy came out in support of their colleagues at the Mitchelstown store yesterday by failing to report for work at their branch.
Last night the sit-in was called off after the Labour Relations Commission put proposals to both sides. Employees at the Mitchelstown and Fermoy stores agreed to go back to work as normal with a meeting organised between management, the unions and the workers planned for Tuesday.
Mandate representative Lorraine O’Brien said there was a sense of relief that a breakthrough had been made.
“It has been very difficult. It has been very tough on the workers. They are relieved and glad that what they had did gained the attention of 4Home Superstore.”
Some 13 workers in Limerick, a number of whom have worked at the Annacotty superstore for more than 30 years, were shocked when management told them on Wednesday that the store would close today and their jobs would be gone by August 28th next.
According to Siptu branch official Deirdre Canty the union members at the store have been offered only basic statutory redundancy, which, she says, is in breach of agreements made several years ago.
She said the company was also in breach of its statutory obligations under the Redundancy Act in providing only three days’ notice.“If the company does not deal with our concerns on Monday we will be referring them to the Labour Relations Commission,” she said.