HUNDREDS of Mandate members will be taking to the streets on Sunday in the Women's Mini marathon. Some will run, some will walk but all will be wearing T-shirts saying "Fair Play to Dunnes Stores Workers".
Some runners will also wear baseball caps with the same logo and badges with I'm Still Backing the Dunnes Stores Workers". The T-shirts, caps and badges are in yellow and green, the colours used by Dunnes Stores, a major sponsor of the mini-marathon.
Mandate is using the race as part of a new campaign to make the company adhere to two Labour Court recommendations issued last year to resolve a bitter three-week strike. However, the union's general secretary, Mr Owen Nulty, said Mandate's participation in the mini-marathon would not be disruptive and members would contribute to the sense of fun and colour of the occasion".
The campaign follows the rejection by members of Mandate and the other two unions at Dunnes Stores, SIPTU and the Marine Port and General Workers' Union, of the company's latest pay offer. In a ballot, it was turned down by 2,996 votes to 224.
A spokesman for Dunnes Stores said the company was disappointed and felt Mandate's publicity campaign was not the way to go".
The only result of such a campaign will be to damage consumer confidence in Dunnes Stores, which, in turn, will damage the company commercially and reduce its ability, to meet the union's demands.
An MPGWU official, Mr Mick Corcoran, said his executive had decided to seek immediate payment of the Labour Court's 3 per cent pay award from the company. If it was not forthcoming, strike notice would be served.