The Labour Court has recommended a 12 per cent pay increase for nine staff at one of the country’s best known bookshops, Hodges Figgis.
The nine ‘legacy’ staff members who brought the pay claim worked for Hodges Figgis before its 1999 takeover by Waterstones.
The store on Dublin’s Dawson Street employs 45 and is consistently one of the top performing stores in the Waterstones UK and Ireland group.
The majority of Hodges Figgis workers are on Waterstones contracts and received two pay increases of 6 per cent each in April and December 2022, while the ‘legacy’ workers did not receive any pay increase.
Now, the Labour Court has recommended that the nine ‘legacy’ retail assistants receive the 12 per cent pay increase from September 1st on certain conditions.
The Labour Court was told that there are three principal matters in respect of which the working arrangements of legacy workers and those on Waterstones contracts differ – Sunday working, public holidays and special events such as book launches.
It has been open to those on legacy contracts to voluntarily move to the Waterstones contract at any stage.
As part of the recommendation, deputy chairman of the Labour Court Alan Haugh said the 12 per cent pay increase is conditional on the nine agreeing to adopt and apply the arrangements that apply to their colleagues on Waterstones terms and conditions in relation to Sunday working, working on public holidays and at special events as and from September 1st.
Myles Worth, industrial organiser at the services division at Siptu, which represented the nine, said they have voted in favour of the Labour Court recommendation.
“We are delighted with the outcome after such a long dispute. The members are very happy that it has finally come to a conclusion,” Mr Worth said. Waterstones Ireland retail manager Sinead McCorry also welcomed the outcome and said the company was happy to honour the Labour Court’s recommendation.
“Hodges Figgis booksellers have a long illustrious tradition of bookselling to the people of Dublin and beyond since 1768. As we continue to evolve, we look forward to enriching our customers’ experience with Hodges Figgis through the launch of a website commencing an exciting new chapter in our storied history,” Ms McCorry said.
