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Three-quarters of Dunnes Stores workers are on part-time flexible contracts

This comes from a survey carried out by Mandate Trade Union on worker satisfaction.

A SURVEY OF Dunnes Stores employees has found widespread dissatisfaction with their treatment by the company.

The survey, which has been carried out by Mandate Trade Union, asked over 1,300 employees about their views on conditions within the store.

Of those asked, 76% said they were on part-time flexible contracts, with 98% saying they wished for more stable working hours.

Results 

It was also found that 85% of members felt that insecurity around hours and rostering is used as a method of control over workers, while 88% felt that hours are distributed unfairly.

Of the respondents, 98% wished for the company to respect their right to union representation – with 88% of workers feeling they are not treated with dignity and respect in the workplace.

The survey also found that 89% believed it was commonplace for new staff on lower rates to receive more hours than established staff on better terms.

Christmas card

The workers are today set to deliver an oversized Christmas card to their company headquarters on George Street in the centre of Dublin; the action is aimed at highlighting demands over working conditions.

The card will carry a message asking Dunnes to “Make Christmas for your workers” by fulfilling the conditions laid out by the trade union.

Speaking about the action, Dunnes worker Muireann Dalton, said:

We’re delivering this festive Christmas card to senior management on behalf of the thousands of Dunnes workers like us who want real changes in how we are treated by our company.

There are 112 branches of Dunnes Stores across the Republic of Ireland with over 10,000 workers. Mandate Trade Union represents more than 4,000 workers at the company. 

The Union has stated that strike action could be imminent if Dunnes fails to meet the workers’ demands.

Earlier in the year, the company failed to appear before the Labour Court to address issues relating to workers’ pay and conditions.

Payments

There was also some confusion about payment of wages from the company this morning, with delays in payment for some workers.

A representative for Mandate Trade Union said that the company is putting this down to difficulties with the banks – and that it is thought the problem will be resolved quickly.

- Dunnes Stores has been contacted and their response is pending at this time.

Read: Strikes for Dunnes staff could be ‘unavoidable’ after the company’s Labour Court snub

Also: Dunnes Stores a no-show at Labour Court dispute

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63 Comments
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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    May 25th 2020, 5:42 PM

    Which bookies are giving odds on this whole fiasco being a disaster and Liveline being jammed solid with complaining parents when the results are released

    154
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    Mute John Egan
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    May 25th 2020, 5:46 PM

    @Thomas Meaney: odds are too short

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    Mute Mary Ward
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    May 25th 2020, 6:51 PM

    @Thomas Meaney: anything to take our minds of what coming down the tracks say june july .. desperate when all they needed to do was pen up a few more classrooms stocke them u with gloves soap and water and get a few more supervisors and let students sit exam they prepared for .

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    Mute Paul Quirke
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    May 25th 2020, 7:05 PM

    @Mary Ward: any teacher that lives anywhere near their school is rural Ireland now has a target on their back…it could be the same in cities.

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    Mute Gordon Walsh
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    May 25th 2020, 5:44 PM

    I’m guessing the main bit of the registration process involves agreeing to the terms and conditions on how the calculated grades system works

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    Mute Richard Carroll
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    May 25th 2020, 7:00 PM

    Good luck to all the LC students, I hope you all get what your looking for, but if ur don’t be assured it will not define you. Best of luck.

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    Mute Milkybar Kid
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    May 25th 2020, 6:50 PM

    T minus 30 days till “But my little Timmy couldn’t of failed maths. He is a genius.”

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    Mute Joe Vlogs
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    May 25th 2020, 7:01 PM

    @Milkybar Kid: couldn’t ‘have’ failed – I daresay English might be the test to look out for.

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    Mute Gordon Walsh
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    May 25th 2020, 7:31 PM

    @Joe Vlogs: Milkybar Kid is right, that’s how the parent of a genius would of phrased it

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    Mute Colmok
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    May 25th 2020, 7:18 PM

    Leaving could be going ahead in the next month. Put tables 2m apart and up supervision or stick a few cameras up. Spread it out over an extra week or 2 if needed.

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    Mute Yurt
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    May 25th 2020, 7:23 PM

    @Colmok: but your forgetting no school since 12th March and the internet divide. I haven’t had any contact with any teacher since we closed. That isn’t fair on anyone.

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    Mute Paul Quirke
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    May 25th 2020, 9:13 PM

    I bet this website will be down or very slow tomorrow. No way it’ll handle all students connecting

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    Mute Eimear Griffin
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    May 25th 2020, 10:30 PM

    Students will be asked to opt in through the portal to indicate if they wish to receive Calculated Grades. What happens if students opt against receiving Calculated Grades? Is the only option to sit the Leaving Cert when schools reopen and if they do so will they get to university this year? I feel for all the students doing their Leaving Cert this year and wish them all the best in the future.

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    Mute Jack Cass
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    May 25th 2020, 5:36 PM

    I thought PPS cards could only be used to claim Social Welfare benefits? Correct me if I am wrong.

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    Mute Gordon Walsh
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    May 25th 2020, 5:49 PM

    @Jack Cass: no one said public service card – pps number is the number used for everything from tax to social welfare to health care to pension benefits to college grants – perfectly reasonable info to ask for – the CAO even use it

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    Mute Claire Greaney
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    May 25th 2020, 6:21 PM

    @Jack Cass: Your PPS number is used if you engage with any Public Service, Education, Health, etc.

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    Mute Sam Glynn
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    May 25th 2020, 6:51 PM

    @Jack Cass: I remember 20 years ago when I turned 16 a pps card was sent to my house with my number on it. No photo or anything. I presume it was issued to me at that age back then as I would be allowed to legally work and pay tax from 16 onwards…. Everyone I knew got one back then….. Although I had started working at age 14 weekends and summer holidays anyway but was always cash in hand and paid fairly luckily.

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    Mute Jack Cass
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    May 25th 2020, 6:56 PM

    @Gordon Walsh: Cheers lads, I must apply for an eye test.

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    Mute Virus-free Turkey
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    May 25th 2020, 7:23 PM

    @Jack Cass: Jack Ass.

    Oops! Sorry!

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    Mute Andrew Letcher
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    May 25th 2020, 7:49 PM

    @Jack Cass: am guessing ur grades weren’t great.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    May 25th 2020, 7:03 PM

    What will happen if they don’t register?

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    Mute Colleen
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    May 25th 2020, 7:12 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: I think the department assumes that they’re not accepting calculated grades and they will sit all of the exams at a later date. Everyone should sign up for them though and just sit the exams in the subjects they think they would have done better in.

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    Mute Lydia McLoughlin
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    May 25th 2020, 8:31 PM

    @Colleen: I would have thought that having paid their examination fees that this way was the way they were doing this anyway and that IF they weren’t happy about what they got they could sit a written exam later in the year.. this is ridiculous! I had no idea they had to register for this.

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    Mute Rach O'Sullivan
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    May 25th 2020, 9:43 PM

    @Lydia McLoughlin: examination fees were waived for this year….anyone who paid them were given a refund

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    Mute Lydia McLoughlin
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    May 26th 2020, 10:00 AM

    @Rach O’Sullivan: Its not really the refund I’m pointing out but rather I’m asking why do they need to register again, shouldn’t the grades be automatically calculated as a matter of course for them anyway? They registered already to do their leaving cert so this was done once no? If they want to sit an exam as they’re not happy with the result later in the year then they can then do this.

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    Mute Lydia McLoughlin
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    May 25th 2020, 8:33 PM

    I’m confused why they need to select higher or lower if its calculated grades then its average no?? If doing pass maths why not now say I’ll do hons and collect the extra 25pts!!!

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    Mute Rach O'Sullivan
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    May 25th 2020, 9:40 PM

    @Lydia McLoughlin: Students can only move down to ordinary level they cannot move up to higher level. Your school should be communicating all of this with you.

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