Debenhams workers have 'positive' meeting with Taoiseach

Valerie Conlon, Mandate shop steward and one of the ex-Debenhams staff in Cork, pictured earlier this week on the 222nd day of their ongoing strike following the closure of the Debenhams stores. Picture: Denis Minihane

A "positive" meeting between the Taoiseach, former Debenhams workers and Mandate trade union has given protestors some hope that efforts will be made by Government to quickly resolve the long-running dispute.

Although nothing concrete was agreed, Micheál Martin reportedly told former workers that the dispute must be resolved “sooner rather than later”. 

Another meeting will take place early next week after the Taoiseach has consulted senior figures in Government on the dispute, which has been running for 224 days.

Valerie Conlon, shop steward from the Patrick Street store in Cork, who was one of three former workers selected to attend the meeting, said she felt "a lot happier" that progress would now be made. 

“He [Micheál Martin] knows it has to come to an end and he knows that it has to come to an end sooner rather than later," she said.

“He is going to talk to someone senior in Government and said that we would meet again early next week.

“He did say that it was going to be hard, that it wasn’t an easy situation and they are looking into what can be done.

I went in with no expectations but I’m happier after the call. There seems to be a plan in place now."

Although the Taoiseach did not give any timelines, the protesting workers hope they may be off the pickets and home by Christmas.

“Some days people are down, but they know they can’t give up at this stage," Ms Conlon said.

“But it is getting harder and people are getting worried over Christmas.

Some of the ex-Debenhams staff with supporters in Cork on the 222nd day of their ongoing strike following the closure of the Debenhams stores. Picture: Denis Minihane

“You have the jokes, saying 'we'll lay out the table along the lane [outside Debenhams], Val can cook the turkey, someone else can do the stuffing'. We’re laughing at it but we’re also hoping that won’t happen. We’re just hoping for the best."

Commenting on the meeting, Gerry Light, Mandate general secretary, said they urged the meeting to end the stand-off.

Mr Light said: “We used the opportunity to once again urge An Taoiseach to use his office to create the circumstances which would bring an end to the current dispute.

“He [Mr Martin] said, notwithstanding current statutory constraints, he and his team were continuing to explore how this might be done and they were in the process of identifying a suitable individual or body who might be able assist the parties in arriving at a mutually acceptable resolution.

Importantly, the Taoiseach committed to meet again with the union delegation early next week in order to update us further."

The former Debenhams staff have been picketing for 224 days to demand that their redundancy package of two weeks pay per year of service from the company plus their two weeks' statutory entitlement are paid after Debenhams failed to honour the deal when it closed its Irish business in April.