A dispute about the freshness of garlic bread sold at Dunnes Stores has closed the company's largest outlet in Galway and led to the suspension of 174 staff. Efforts to resolve the dispute are expected to take place at head office level between Dunnes Stores and Mandate, the shop workers union, later today.
The company suspended 174 employees who occupied the canteen on Thursday. The staff were protesting at attempts by the company to reduce the size of the union delegation representing a suspended employee.
Management personnel manned the tills yesterday but some members of the public were refusing to pass the pickets. Last night, Mandate's national industrial officer, Mr John Douglas, called on the company to end the suspensions and allow the disciplinary proceedings against the suspended employee to resume.
A spokeswoman for Dunnes Stores said the company was also making every effort to resolve the dispute. The action taken by the staff was unofficial and contrary to all agreed procedures.
The dispute arose after a customer complained about the quality of some garlic bread. Rather than accept the customer's word, one of the staff decided to taste the bread herself and the situation escalated. The employee involved was suspended on Tuesday.
The case was due to be heard on Thursday. However the hearing, in turn, became the subject of a larger dispute after the company decided the defendant could not be represented by a full-time Mandate official and two in-house shop stewards. It said she must choose between the official and a shop steward.
When Mandate refused to accept this ruling the company refused to go ahead with the disciplinary hearing and the defendant remained on suspension. When word of the outcome reached other staff they occupied the canteen. It is understood staff relations at the branch have not improved significantly since a major dispute between Mandate and Dunne's Stores in 1995.