Shelbourne Hotel redundancy package agreed
Closure of the hotel is imminent, but the staff have not been given final notice to quit.
Last night a spokeswoman for the hotel said it ceased offering bed nights earlier this week and the bulk of services have been wound down.
The two bars and the Lord Mayor’s lounge remain open, but the hotel has booked clients for the Easter weekend out to other hotels as the wind-up operation draws to a close.
SIPTU, which represents 100 of the hotel’s 247 employees, sought an improvement in the redundancy package.
Kieron Connolly, the union’s hotel and catering branch secretary, said the original terms were unacceptable.
Some employees had over 40 years service and the management wanted to limit length of service to 23 years. All staff are to be made redundant under the proposals but no guarantees are being given on the prospect of being rehired once the refurbishment is completed.
Under the company’s plans, employees with more than two years’ service were offered 5½ weeks’ salary for each year of service. SIPTU got this raised to 6½ weeks’ salary and also a lifting of the 130-week payment cap, which penalises anyone with more than 23 years’ service.
In addition, it wants management to increase the service charge payment included in salaries. The union says management is using a service charge payment based on last year’s takings which, it says, were lower than normal because of uncertainty over the hotel’s future.
It is understood that all of the union’s reservations and concerns have been dealt with to the satisfaction of workers.
The closure had been earmarked for April 4, but the date is not finalised, a the spokeswoman said.
To advance the case of its workers SIPTU warned it would take its claim to a third party if there was no improvement in the offer.
Mr Connolly argued the cap would have a major impact on the terms for 20 long-term staff.
Staff had hoped the refurbishment could be carried out without a complete shutdown. However the new owners ruled this out and have opted for a complete shut down while the work is going on.
