St Vincent de Paul shops face pickets
Workers says restructuring could lead to pay cuts
PICKETS may be placed at 195 St Vincent de Paul charity shops across the country in a row over SVP’s restructuring plans for its Cork network.
Siptu, which represents shop workers, has given SVP two weeks’ notice of its intention to take action by August 28 at 11 shops in Cork if the row is not resolved. Talks are due at the Workplace Relations Commission on August 23.
If they fail, members nationwide will be balloted for action. SVP wants to change the roles of some of its local management staff. Workers say this will result in pay cuts.
PICKETS could be placed on St Vincent de Paul shops nationwide if a row over plans to restructure the charity’s network in Cork is not resolved.
Siptu, which represents the workers, has given the charity, which wants to change the roles of some of its existing local management staff, two weeks’ notice of its members’ intention to take industrial action by August 28.
Action is likely to include pickets being placed outside about 11 of the charity’s shops in Cork city and west county Cork.
If matters are not resolved during planned Workplace Relations Commission talks from August 23, members in other branches around the country will then be balloted for action.This could see many of the charity’s 195 shops being picketed by the union.The row has been ongoing since October 2016.
Siptu says the plans could also cut the pay of some workers – many of whom only work around three days a week – by as much as €30 a week.
Although an unusual step for a union to take, members feel industrial action is necessary because they claim they are being ‘bullied’ out of their jobs.
Last night, an SVP spokesman said the society rejected Siptu’s claim of bullying against the society in Cork.
‘The society is particularly surprised that the union should make such a claim at this time, as SVP has agreed to attend the WRC later this month. SVP is reorganising the management of some of its 25 shops in Cork city and county to bring them in line with the other shops in Cork and throughout the country.
‘The reorganisation will result in additional jobs being created.’
According to the union, consultation with staff, who are understood to earn €14 and €13 an hour as a manager or a shop assistant in the shops involved, has been limited.
At present, Siptu explains that there are two part-time managers at each SVP shop, but management want there to be a single manager backed up by a shop assistant.
The union costed the planned changes and has estimated they will actually cost the charity an extra €100,000 – a figure the charity declined to comment on last night.
SVP has also not responded to alternative proposals presented at a meeting between union and management in May following a WRC intervention – which Siptu says were accepted as being far more cost effective.
Siptu sector organiser Eddie Mullins told the Irish Daily Mail last night:‘So far... they [SVP] are not holding back on their plans.’
‘SVP are not holding back ‘