DELEGATES voted down a motion calling on the union to insist that it preserve treble time rates of pay for the four weeks before Christmas. Union officials said the motion would tie their hands in future negotiations.
Most speakers from the floor stressed that any erosion of overtime pay for Sunday work, especially in the lead up to Christmas, must be resisted. Mr John Blennerhasset of Tralee said that soon Easter Sunday would be the only Sunday in the year when shop workers would not have to work.
Mr Peter Ryan of Dublin said some Dunnes Stores staff had to work from 8 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. this bank holiday Monday to clear the shelves of Easter stock and make sure the usual products were in place for normal opening today.
Mr Peter Riordan of Cork said it was only right for workers to look for extra pay on the pre-Christmas Sundays. Employers made larger profits then and staff had to work harder to cope with the Christmas rush.
The union decided to campaign to have the Bill on working hours amended, so that it imposed greater restrictions on Sunday trading.