Courts / Dublin / Report
Decision to make Debenhams staff redundant 'preordained', Union tells test case
Summary
A test case concerning the collective redundancy of 750 Debenhams workers opened before the Workplace Relations Commission. Michael Meegan, the Mandate union official running the case, alleged that the decision to make staff redundant was "preordained and predetermined" before the company entered liquidation. The union claims that Debenhams Retail Ireland Ltd management and liquidators Andrew O'Leary and Kieran Wallace of KPMG failed to provide substantive information or meaningfully consult with representatives, violating the Protection of Employment Act. The liquidators deny these claims, with counsel Kelley Smith SC arguing for "full compliance" through four open meetings and written responses to questions. Mandate General Secretary Gerry Light testified that the redundancy decision was made prior to April 8, 2020, and that requests for financial data were ignored. Liquidator Andrew O'Leary countered that the UK parent company refused financial support and that he provided all requested information except for landlord details protected by privacy. He rejected the characterization of the process as a "cursory box-ticking exercise," stating the initial intention was to save part of the Irish business. The hearing is the largest group of complaints handled as a test case by the WRC this year. The matter is currently at the hearing stage, with evidence presented by both parties.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Decision to make Debenhams staff redundant 'preordained', Union tells test case. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 16 April 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 9 April 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 8 April 2020 Other
- 2022-10-26 Publication
Why: He said the trade union was entitled to this information by law in order to make proposals on avoiding or mitigating the impact of redundancies on its members. CNI source report
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