DUNNES Stores is seeking further talks with its unions to avert another strike. Exactly a year after the conclusion of the last strike at the company, its shop stewards have unanimously decided on a strike ballot because of the company's failure to honour one of the Labour Court recommendations that resolved last summer's three week stoppage.
A spokesman for the company confirmed yesterday that it was looking for another meeting with the unions, but he warned that the company had made it clear it was not accepting the Labour Court recommendation to back date a special 3 per cent pay increase to September 4th, 1995.
This has been a major stumbling block for the unions. Commenting on the shop stewards' decision on Sunday to call for a strike ballot, the national officer of Mandate, Mr John Douglas, said the 3 per cent must be paid with full backdating.
"If renewed industrial action is to be avoided, the company must fully implement these recommendations", he said.
He identified the three key issues as payment of the 3 per cent, the creation of 200 new fill time jobs and the establishment of a tribunal to deal with all the other outstanding issues such as pension schemes, posts of responsibility and a grievance procedure for staff.
However, the Dunnes Stores, spokesman said yesterday that "it is not unusual for companies, or unions, to reject Labour Court recommendations. The company will never accept the September 4th, 1995, date (for the introduction of the extra 3 per cent) because none of our competitors was asked to pay the money retrospectively."