Dunnes Stores staff in Gorey to meet over shock closure

Some 100 Dunnes Stores workers in Gorey are to hold an emergency meeting on Friday evening following the announcement on Thursday of the store's unexplained, sudden closure.

Workers at Dunnes Stores in the Gorey Shopping Centre were called in by management at 6pm on Thursday and told the store was being closed immediately.

Further staff were called in on Friday morning to clear the shelves of perishable items.

Mandate organiser Bill Abom said staff have been asking questions about whether the closure is permanent or temporary but have received “no explanation whatsoever” from local Dunnes Stores management.

He described the situation as a “despicable place to leave workers. They don’t know if they will have any income coming in next week.”

Mr Abom said the sudden closure may not be related to the recent dispute over low hours contracts, but may instead be related to a local dispute over shop access.

Side access door

He said Dunnes Stores had opened a side access door directly into the shop last year. This means that customers can access the shop directly without going through the shopping centre.

Mr Abom suggested that Gorey Shopping Centre management and other tenants may have objected to this on the basis that it was against the terms of the original lease and would reduce footfall elsewhere.

However, he said in the absence of an explanation from Dunnes, this was mere speculation. Mr Abom said the store was trading fine and there was no reason for it be singled out following the recent dispute over low hours contracts.

Centre manager Niamh O’Byrne declined to comment when approached by The Irish Times.

There are signs up around the Dunnes Stores branch stating: “Dear Customers, We wish to inform you that this store is closed until further notice. Signed Dunnes Stores management.”

The meeting was to take place at the Amber Springs Hotel in Gorey at 6pm on Friday.