Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy may be aware of the history regarding Dunnes Stores. The company and the union were party to a collective agreement which provided a framework within which disputes and differences could be resolved by negotiation and dialogue. The Labour Court has pointed to this as a mechanism and an avenue to resolve the dispute, as the general secretary of the union has also said.

It is in fact open to the owners and management of Dunnes Stores to have a resolution of the dispute through dialogue. I urge them to take that avenue as soon as possible. The company has a long history of employment, service and business in this country and has employed very many people down the years. Having worked there on brief occasions, I am very aware of the staff who work in Dunnes Stores and give great service to the public. They are not particularly well paid and certainly the advent of minimum-hours contracts-----

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