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THE UNION REPRESENTING some of the workers at Dublin’s landmark Arnotts store says that it is concerned about the future of 1,200 jobs at the store and another Dublin store, Boyers.
Mandate says that it has worries about the sale of the debt of the company, which has been held by IBRC and Ulster Bank since 2010.
It has been rumoured that Ulster Bank will make a decision on the sale of its share of the debt this week and that a number of restructuring firms have expressed an interest.
Mandate General Secretary John Douglas says that any sale of the debt should prioritise jobs.
Arnotts and Boyers workers have gone through a very painful and difficult five years. Nonetheless, they have worked with the current management to turn Arnotts and Boyers around in a very difficult retail environment, once again making Arnotts a unique and successful Irish retail brand.
“It would be a slap in the face to all Arnotts and Boyers workers if either IBRC or Ulster Bank were to merely try to maximise their return on their debt without any consideration of what is best for the workers now and into the future.”
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Does boyers actually make any money? Last time I checked it was empty , out dated, old fashioned.
All these shops are doomed. There will be only one shop in the future that will supply or have everything supplied through it – Amazon. Shops – the few that will remain on the streets – will be for goods displays and collection points where needed. Shopping centres, the same. Mainly walk-arounds for the tactile woman.
@sean bambi. Of course boyers is still open, where else would Inde Kenny get his cheap flannel suits.?
Boyers beware or Caveat Empty?
Oh no it’s the big bad unions again trying to protect there members jobs and pay…. Shame on them.
The very sight or mention of “union” and the haters are out cursing unions and blaming the unions for everything. How about you learn the facts of what the unions is talking about on this issue before you go off on a anti union waffle…
“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”
They’ll turn it in to a Parking Lot if they could get away with it!
For big yellow taxis.
Well said, Maurice. People like Kenneth are too young to realize that the regulations and protections that he may enjoy in his employment were fought for, long and hard, over a long number of years – against strong opposition from those who wish workers to ‘know their place’.
I read that Selfridges in London want to buy Arnotts
It’s a Canadian guy who owns Selfridges, Brown Thomas Group and Holt Renfrew in Canada. Arnotts would certainly be in good company!
Leah, the owner is Galen Weston. What people are not aware of is that most of the Senior management team in Arnotts, are past failed managers of Mr Weston, a large amount of them from Brown Thomas. They will do their utmost to try make sure he doesn’t take control as they know at that point they would have to update their CV!
The family that majority own selfridges own Brown Thomas on Grafton Street. The Westons. They know retail and brands and would be a great fit for Arnotts!
Is management not alrealdy shared between arnotts and bt
Sean, you make my point! Galen booted them all out of BT’s in a “restructure”. The chief exec went too Arnotts and gave a lot of his unemployed managers a job in Arnotts with some very strange job titles in Order to justify their existence, a number of them mainly from the UK are related to him, I’ve said enough!
Paul kelly has been Galen Westons man in Dublin for years – overseeing the purchase of the switzer groups and the refurbishment and rebranding of brown thomas. he is now with selfridges after been asked by Weston to sort them out. so if weston group take Arnotts – kelly will be the man to try and turn it around – and he takes no hostages. its his way – or no way. ruthless but gets results.
Your right he was called back from London to sort out his replacement who now works in Arnotts
Bloody unions again. When will they learn that trying to get a worker a living wage and keep him off the poverty line will only lead to the management taking advantage of our weak labour laws and the free market that our government pushed in us to move their businesses to places like Poland where they can pay some poor eejit 2 euro an hour? What’s next? The lower classes being able to feed their entire family every day? Parents able to afford to provide an education to their children? They should be happy with their lot, and get on with the work and go to church every weekend.
Maurice,
How would you move Arnotts or Boyers to Poland?
They have their own departments stores and the buying power of customers on the wages you mention isn’t that great.
Think you may have gone slightly of track.
Unions interfering again, have they ever contributed anything
Good riddance to Arnotts. I brought faulty goods back and I got no customer service from them.
Penny’s could buy it it would be great tracksuit heaven.
The same company that owns Selfridges owns Pennies! ABF,
Wont be missed to expensive to shop there even in the bargain shop
Im sure the 1200 workers will miss it!
Sandra,
Walked through today (nice and dry short cut from Abbey St to Mary St) seemed busy enough and the prices of shoes etc that I looked at weren’t that outrageous and as another poster said thec1200 staff would definitely miss the place.
This applies to Arnotts of course haven’t been in Boyers for years (note to self)
Its always busy Sandra.
have your say