Dunnes managers told to attend emergency meeting.

Sharpshooter

Speculation was growing last night that British supermarket giant Asda is planning to take over Dunnes Stores' 120 outlets in the Republic as the Irish chain prepared to implement more cutbacks.
Some 200 managers in 120 stores around the country were told yesterday afternoon to attend emergency meetings in Dublin and Cork early next week.
The talks are scheduled to take place in Charleville in Cork on Monday and St Stephen's Green in Dublin on Tuesday and in other locations later in the week.
Managers on annual leave have also been advised to attend the meetings where possible. The company's workers have been left in the dark, causing concern about their futures.
There was widespread speculation in the media late last year that a takeover was imminent .
"Staff are obviously worried about what the future holds for them if Asda takes over. We don't know what is happening and this is very worrying. Rumours are rife that managers may lose their bonuses which can be worth from between €4,000 to €30,000," one manager said.
Earnings
Since Christmas, a number of managers have also been told that their Sunday overtime payments worth €400 are a thing of the past, and their earnings would be reduced by €5,000 per annum.
Some managers have also been informed of an increase in their working hours with no extra pay. Retail sources said Dunnes will let go all the trainee managers who are with the company for15 months or less. There are 15 such managers in the flagship Cornelscourt store in Dublin alone.
It is also believed that the home furnishings shop on South Great George's Street in Dublin, near to Dunnes head office, is to close. There was also speculation that Dunnes would close some underperforming stores.
Dunnes Stores employ 18,000 people nationwide and has a 25pc share in the grocery market. Asda is owned by American supermarket giants Walmart

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fresh-dunnes-link-to-asda-as-managers-meet-1639920.html

It's not looking good if they are advising managers on Annual leave to attend the meeting.
From reading the above it looks like it's all done and dusted,and the meeting is to let the top brass know first.
Or am I reading too much into it?

Captain Slow IRL

So, does that mean we won't have to go north to shop at Asda?

Biggins

Would come as no surprise.
I know the Heffernan family younger lot have no intrest in running the business, so as Margret gets older and wishes to take less a pressure strain (understandably especially given the economic climate), she and older members of the family want to jump ship.

Nevyn

Crap
Cos ASDA is own by walmart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart

orestes

Thaedydal wrote: »

Crap
Cos ASDA is own by walmart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart

Ah shit

I think it's about the managers hours etc. A lot of recent changes to their hours and salaries such as Sunday pay etc go against what's in their contracts. A lot of them are understandably upset about this. Staff haven't been told because it's nothing to do with them-yet.

galwayrush

Dunne and dusted then?:rolleyes:

Sharpshooter

Thaedydal wrote: »

Crap
Cos ASDA is own by walmart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart

Yes, it is.
It's in the first post Thaedydal.
Are walmart against unions?
I know a lot of staff in dunnes joined the union after the last scare,but will it do them any good?

BaconZombie

Does this have anything to do with the "Wal*Mart" store on Bolton Street?

Thaedydal wrote: »

Crap
Cos ASDA is own by walmart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart

indough

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Are walmart against unions?

asda are anyway

mikemac

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Are walmart against unions?

Hell yeah they are!
There's a documentary out on this though I can't find a link. In xtravision anyway.
Nickled and Dimed, quality book imo on working on minimum wage.
Maybe they operate differently in Europe with stronger employee legislation.

Nevyn

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Yes, it is.
It's in the first post Thaedydal.
Are walmart against unions?

as per the wiki link

Trade union relations

In August 2005, the manager of the Wakefield depot read out what were called[who?] "foreign-sounding" names over the public address system ordering them to report immediately to the manager's office. The workers, who were all Muslims, were ordered to produce evidence that they were not illegal immigrants. At least one was threatened with the sack unless he produced his passport the next day. The highly public initiative by management, which came within weeks of the 7 July bombings in London, was followed by a spate of graffiti at the depot in Wakefield expressing hatred and contempt for Muslims and their religion. [33]

In February 2006, Asda was fined £850,000 for offering employees of a newly taken over distribution depot a pay rise to give up union rights. An employment tribunal found the American-owned supermarket chain guilty of promising 340 distribution staff a 10 per cent pay rise to give up the collective agreement negotiated by the GMB union – an act which is illegal under a 1992 labour relations law. The court ordered Asda to pay £2,500 to each employee at the County Durham depot.[34]

In June 2006, GMB Union members at the company's UK distribution depots agreed to strike for five days from 30 June 2006. The two sides failed to agree on how many of Asda's 12,500 depot workers belong to the union across its 24 depots around the UK. The GMB claimed the figure as 7,000, but Asda claimed the number was nearer 4,500. The depots affected include Bedford, Chepstow, Dartford, Didcot, Erith, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Ince George in Wigan, Lutterworth, Lymedale in Staffordshire, Portbury, Skelmersdale, Teesport, Wakefield and Washington.[35]

Asda threatened legal action, citing flaws in the ballot process, (such as the GMB sending out ballot forms to non union members - strengthening Asda's claim that the union quoted figures were inflated,) but after discussion at the TUC, an agreement was reached for a national level consultative body and the strike called off.[36]

Sharpshooter wrote: »

I know a lot of staff in dunnes joined the union after the last scare,but will it do them any good?

That is the question, which given the historic impact the action a small group of Dunnes store worker who was in the union had on a global scale means this will be intresting.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0619/1213810561161.html

MIN2511

BOFH_139 wrote: »

Does this have anything to do with the "Wal*Mart" store on Bolton Street?

I wondered about that... I live across the road and only noticed it about two weeks ago

oleras

Asda ? walmart ? Jumping to conclusions ?

If Dunnes stores has agreed to be taken over by asda do you honestly think they would be telling store managers over 2 seperate days ?

I know myself there sales have been down a lot this year, it is more than likely a bonus reduction/salery freezes.

I was also speaking to someone last week who told me a TKMAX store has a +30% increase this jan compared to jan 08, they would be the store to buy !!

Biggins

As mentioned already, its probably pay/bonus related meetings that is going on.
Sticking them on the back-burner for the mo.

Either way, we'll know sooner or later.

Agent Smith

Thaedydal wrote: »

That is the question, which given the historic impact the action a small group of Dunnes store worker who was in the union had on a global scale means this will be intresting.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0619/1213810561161.html

Bunreacht Na h&#201 wrote: »

6. 1° The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights, subject to public order and morality:
i. The right of the citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions.
The education of public opinion being, however, a matter of such grave import to the common good, the State shall endeavour to ensure that organs of public opinion, such as the radio, the press, the cinema, while preserving their rightful liberty of expression, including criticism of Government policy, shall not be used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the State.
The publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law.
ii. The right of the citizens to assemble peaceably and without arms.
Provision may be made by law to prevent or control meetings which are determined in accordance with law to be calculated to cause a breach of the peace or to be a danger or nuisance to the general public and to prevent or control meetings in the vicinity of either House of the Oireachtas.
iii. The right of the citizens to form associations and unions.
Laws, however, may be enacted for the regulation and control in the public interest of the exercise of the foregoing right.
2° Laws regulating the manner in which the right of forming associations and unions and the right of free assembly may be exercised shall contain no political, religious or class discrimination.

Good Luck to Asda / Wal*mart getting around that

oleras

All those meetings were cancelled saturday.

It is got to do with reducing manager numbers, bonus and car allowances.

Nothing to do with ASDA.......so i have been informed.

Silent Partner

Agent Smith wrote: »

Good Luck to Asda / Wal*mart getting around that

As far as I know, the right to form unions and join them is enshrined in Bunreacht na hEireann, as shown above.
However companies are not legally obliged to recognise them nor engage with them. For example, I'm pretty sure that Ryanair refuse to recognise or engage with unions.

ejmaztec

Silent Partner wrote: »

As far as I know, the right to form unions and join them is enshrined in Bunreacht na hEireann, as shown above.
However companies are not legally obliged to recognise them nor engage with them. For example, I'm pretty sure that Ryanair refuse to recognise or engage with unions.

Don't American companies in Ireland generally operate union-free?

frodos63

Xerox Dundalk does not have a union:(

Nevyn

ejmaztec wrote: »

Don't American companies in Ireland generally operate union-free?

They try to, they can't stop people from joining but it's not made easy for them.

Captain Slow IRL

I used to work for one and we were explicitly told that if we ever tried bringing a union in, we'd be out the door.

fryup

first Quinnsworth then Superquinn then Roches Stores now Dunnes

its a sad day for ireland:( me thinks

Tech3

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

So, does that mean we won't have to go north to shop at Asda?

No, when you take taxes and the cost of operating a store into account here there wont be much in the difference anyway. We will still be ripped off.

inordertobeable

I shop in Dunnes a lot. How will all this have an impact on my shopping?

fryup

inordertobeable wrote: »

I shop in Dunnes a lot. How will all this have an impact on my shopping?

not much really, just different coloured bags

OPENROAD

tech2 wrote: »

No, when you take taxes and the cost of operating a store into account here there wont be much in the difference anyway. We will still be ripped off.

Very true, I bought some stuff from a well known UK high street store on the net, items delivered to my door. Saw the exact same item in a similar Irish high street store. I saved over 80 Euro by buying it from the UK. Absolute madness imo.

inordertobeable

fryup wrote: »

not much really, just different coloured bags

Grand so. I find it cheaper than most.

Captain Slow IRL

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

I used to work for one and we were explicitly told that if we ever tried bringing a union in, we'd be out the door.

+1

Latchy

Following in the footsteps of poor ol Woolworths .:(

However I know it's not Ireland but one of the girs who used to be employed by ' Wollies ' in Merseyside is planning to re- open one of closed stores with a business plan of sorts and re - employee some of the former workers .

Rabies

frodos63 wrote: »

Xerox Dundalk does not have a union:(

Just copy someone else's union