SIPTU Urge Boots to Engage Constructively with Workers

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Thursday January 20, 2011 13:42 by PRO - SIPTU

Ireland’s largest Trade Union, SIPTU have labelled the Boots Management as ‘belligerent and uncompromising’, for failing to acknowledge workers concerns.

SIPTU who are organising Boots workers in stores across the north drafted a petition and collected hundreds of signatures from staff calling for dignity and respect in the workplace.

Some members of the SIPTU Boots Organising Committee

The trade union said the dignity and respect campaign was initiated following a number of complaints by Boots workers, who were extremely unhappy at the negative manner in which they were being treated by senior management, and their concerns not being taken seriously or dealt with in an appropriate manner. These concerns in part relate to the fact that this very profitable company (1 of 3 which broke the £1bn profit margin in 2010), fails to ensure adequate staff levels are maintained to provide a professional service to the customers without creating undue stress and strain on the workers.

The petition which had almost 400 Boots staff signatures was handed in on Monday 18th October, yet the Boots management have not yet responded whatsoever to SIPTU’s proposals to resolve the issue in a constructive manner.

SIPTU Organiser Niall McNally has launched a scathing attack on Boots management style,

“We believe the Boots Management are an absolute disgrace, they have continually and point blank refused to address the concerns of their own staff, whether it is raised by the workers themselves or by SIPTU on behalf of the hundreds who signed the petition. How long does it take to respond to and deal with these concerns? It has been over 3 months since we sent in the petition followed 2 weeks later with proposals from the union, which had been requested by management. As of yet we have not received any response despite their commitment to revert to us within 2 weeks. It is wholly unprofessional and an absolutely appalling record from a company who have grown and achieved record profits down to the professional staff who they employ, the very staff who they are showing total disdain towards. Their behaviour is not conducive towards establishing good industrial relations between the workforce and the company.”

“We believe the belligerent and mean practice by Boots of failing to take on board or deal with their workers concerns is something that must change. We are in the process of organising a General Meeting of all Boots workers, to come together and ensure that the Boots management begin to take their concerns seriously and start to implement a dignified and respectful atmosphere in the workplace.”

Marie McAteer, SIPTU Boots Organising Committee, said,

“At this late stage we urge the Boots management to engage with the representatives of the workers and to address our concerns.”