Debenhams dispute hits 300 days

Former Debenhams employees have now been picketing for a fair redundancy package for more than 300 days.

The long-running dispute began on 9 April when Debenhams Ireland announced the closure of all of its Irish stores resulting in the loss of 2,000 jobs. Yesterday, Wednesday, marked 300 days since that announcement.

The redundancy package offered to staff at the time fell well short of what had previously been agreed with liquidators KPMG only offering two weeks’ pay per years worked rather than four weeks’.

Staff have since refused an offer of €3 million worth of training and upskilling courses and instead want the money to be paid in cash to be shared amongst them.

A payment of €3 million in cash would still represent a massive compromise by the former employees. However, KPMG has not budged on its offer.

Solidarity TD Mick Barry has now called on the Government to undertake another initiative in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

Deputy Barry said that the Government should convert into cash the €3m set aside before Christmas for an upskilling fund for the workers and use it towards a just settlement offer.

He also said that the Government should stop “dragging their heels” on the introduction of legislation to improve workers' rights in liquidation situations. “Three hundred days on from the closure of Debenhams the Government are still to intervene with a realistic offer to resolve this dispute. The workers are not going away and the issue is not going away and the Government cannot hide from the need both for a realistic offer for these workers and for legislation to protect other workers in future liquidation situations,” said the Deputy.