DUNNES Stores is the second largest multiple retail company in the Republic with 73 outlets and an annual turn over estimated at about £1 billion.
The company does not publish profit figures. Estimates of annual profits range from £50 million to £150 million. The company has about 19 per cent of the retail grocery market, a share which is thought to have dropped by about 2 percentage points since last year's strike.
Dunnes is a major customer for Irish clothing manufacturers and specialised food processors. About 2,000 jobs in these sectors could be at risk if the strike is protracted.
The company is a private trust owned by members of the Dunne family. The chief executive is Ms Margaret Heffernan, who sits on the board with her brother. Mr Frank Dunne, a former Quinnsworth chief executive, Mr Dick Reeves, and a former Boots executive, Mr Andrew Street.
Dunnes has more than 8,600 shop floor employees; most are women employed part time. About 6,000 are members of Mandate. Others belong to SIPTU and the Marine Port and General Workers' Union. There is a 50 per cent annual turnover of staff, most of whom are paid £3.50 per hour.