Labour Court chairperson Kevin Foley has been appointed as mediator in the Debenhams dispute, in a move that was welcomed by the union that represents workers in the company.

Mandate general secretary Gerry Light said his union would play its part in attempting to find a resolution that is acceptable to the 1,000-plus staff, who lost their jobs when the store went into liquidation earlier this year.

The union also called on the liquidator, KPMG, to cease attempts to remove stock while Mr Foley was working to settle the dispute. This came after reports that KPMG had attempted to access and remove stock from stores in Limerick and Tralee.

The Debenhams workers have now been on strike, and seeking a fair redundancy settlement, for over 230 days. They were denied access to a collective redundancy agreement negotiated between Mandate and the company.

Mandate has also urged KPMG to respect the Government’s offer of mediation and allow the initiative an opportunity to succeed. “That means a commitment to not attempt the removal of stock until this process has been exhausted,” said Gerry.

Meanwhile, Mandate’s national executive council, and the union’s Debenhams negotiating team, last week wrote to Fórsa to thank its members for a €10,000 donation towards the Debenhams workers’ strike fund. The Fórsa executive had earlier sanctioned the contribution as an act of solidarity.

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