A former Debenhams worker has won a case at the Workplace Relations Commission over the way she was made redundant in 2020.
The test case involved former Debenhams Henry Street shop steward Jane Crowe and could have implications for around 750 former workers.
Their trade union Mandate had accused Debenhams of failing to comply with its responsibilities in a collective redundancy scenario by not consulting with the union or providing it with information.
In its ruling, the WRC found that two separate complaints in the case were well founded and awarded a total of €2,280 in compensation to Ms Crowe.
The compensation was calculated at €1,140, the equivalent of four weeks' pay, for each of the two complaints.
At a hearing in October 2022, Mandate had argued that it was its strong contention that the decision to make Debenhams staff redundant was made prior to 9 April 2020 and was copper-fastened on 16 April 2020, but the first consultation with the union only took place on 17 April.
The Debenhams liquidator, KPMG, argued that it had complied with its requirements when it came to providing information and consultation.
After they were made redundant, pickets were mounted by workers on the closed Debenhams stores which delayed efforts to remove stock from the premises for over a year.
An overnight garda operation in April 2021 broke up the blockade at Debenhams' flagship store on Henry Street in Dublin.
The workers had been demanding an enhanced redundancy package of four weeks' pay per year of service rather than the legal minimum of two weeks.
