Strike notice served on Boots
Tuesday, 10 November 2009 20:51The Mandate trade union has served notice of industrial action on Boots stores, in a row over planned pay cuts and changes in work practices.
The union says workers will be placing pickets on all Boots stores throughout the State on Saturday, 28 November.
The company has more than 900 full-time staff working in 57 stores in the Republic.
Mandate has called on Boots to re-enter talks or attend the Labour Court on the issue.
It said workers in Boots voted 'emphatically' for industrial action by a margin of two to one in favour last Friday, with 89% of all members in the ballot for industrial action.
Mandate Assistant General Secretary, Gerry Light, said the union has requested that the company come back to the negotiating table in an effort to resolve the dispute.
The union has also requested that the company attend the Labour Court for a hearing with Mandate.
According to Mandate, the dispute centres on Boots attempting to 'unilaterally change terms and conditions of their workers including cuts in pay'.
The union says Boots made record profits in Ireland, with most recent figures of €20m profit being posted in 2008.
Mr Light said that a strike is always a last resort and 'it is clear that neither Mandate nor the Boots workers want to go out on strike, particularly in the run up to Christmas'.
