Pickets seem set to be placed at more than 30 Argos outlets around the country on Saturday after talks aimed at averting a dispute ended unsuccessfully last night. The trade union Mandate warned that a further day of action could take place at the company before Christmas as part of the row over pay.
Speaking after talks chaired by the National Implementation Body, Mandate assistant general secretary Linda Tanham said: "We went and had discussions with the company, but unfortunately the company weren't prepared to budge on the problem of their low pay. It now looks likely that pickets will be placed at the 31 Argos stores throughout the Republic this Saturday."
In a statement yesterday, Argos said it expected its stores to remain open for business as usual at the weekend, despite the threatened industrial action.
The row centres on how pay should be determined for staff.
Ms Tanham said that up to 2006, the union had an agreement with the company under which both sides would discuss pay increases for staff. She said that last year, without agreement with the union, the company abandoned this process and reverted to the national wage agreement.
Ms Tanham said Mandate had sought a 10 per cent pay increase for staff (or €1 per hour), which would be more than that available under Towards 2016.
She said direct negotiations had worked well up to last year and that "for management to now hide behind the national wage agreement was unacceptable, particularly when we are representing low-paid workers".
Ms Tanham said most Argos staff were paid €9 per hour. Mandate, which mainly represents relatively low-paid retail and bar workers, withdrew from social partnership last year. It maintained that national deals had not been delivered for its members and were weighted in favour of public servants.
Argos said it was following the terms of Towards 2016 and that this had been ratified by the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court.
