DUNNES Stores has reversed its decision to open on Easter Sunday. In a statement last night, Dunnes Stores said it was changing its plan due to the "adverse public reaction" to Easter Sunday trading.
Mr Owen Nulty, general secretary of Mandate which represents most Dunnes Stores workers, said while he was "certainly pleased" the company had changed its mind, certain issues needed to be resolved.
Virtually everybody employed in the past 18 months in major stores have signed contracts obliging them to be available for Sunday work. However, it was never envisaged that this would include working on days like Easter Sunday or Christmas Day."
A spokesman for Dunnes Stores said the "sole reason" for its decision to trade on Easter Sunday for the first time was the announcement by its competitor, Marks and Spencer, that it would trade on that day.
"We have discovered since, through comments from customers and general media coverage, that Easter Sunday trading is not something the public are happy with."
He stressed that the company, which has traded on Sundays for two years, did so within the regulatory framework.
In its statement Dunnes Stores called on other retail outlets to follow its lead in keeping stores closed on Easter Sunday and "respect the expressed views of the Irish consumer".