The union representing workers at Arnotts in Dublin said it is annoyed at a report today of hundreds of potential redundancies at the Henry Street store.
Mandate national official Linda Tanham said the union had talks with management in July and September last year about the company's plan to develop its flagship store but there were no detailed proposals.
But a claim in today's Irish Independentthat the company plans to lay off 400 of its 950 staff has angered the union because it had not been informed of any specific plans.
Ms Tanham said she was seeking an meeting with management over the issue and would be informing them of the union's "annoyance at having to hear about developments through media speculation".
Arnotts plan to develop the Henry Street/Abbey Street store into a €750-million retail, entertainment and residential area, to be known as the Northern Quarter.
The project, which is starting in September, is due to take three years. It will include 47 shops, 14 cafes, restaurants and bars, around 175 apartments and a 149-bedroom four-star hotel on the 5.5-acre site.
The company last year bought Debenhams department store on nearby Jervis Street, and it was expected it would be used by Arnotts while the Northern Quarter was developed.
"There has been a lot of speculation since Arnotts acquired the Debenhams site in Jervis and the announcement of the whole development of the Northern Quarter, but we were given an assurance in September that we would be kept informed of all developments," Ms Tanham said.
"The big question mark is over whether Arnotts intend to trade [in Henry Street] during the development," Ms Tanham told ireland.com. She accepted however, that some "limited job losses" could be assumed but said these should be worked out through their traditional partnership approach.
A company spokesman said some disruption would be inevitable but he would not comment on redundancies until detailed proposals had been finalised and staff were informed. He said the figure of 400 was "speculation".
When the development was complete, around 5,000 jobs would be created - 1,200 of which would be at Arnotts, he added.