To: All Mandate Members – Penneys, Swords
Re: Collective Store Grievance
Date: Wednesday 21st July 2021
Dear Members,
Please see below correspondence forwarded to Ms. Sarah Ryan, Acting Store Manager, (by email) with regard to the excessive levels of heat and lack of adequate air conditioning in the store.
Ms. Sarah Ryan
Acting Store Manager
Penneys Swords
The Pavilion Shopping Centre
Swords
Co. Dublin.
21st July 2021
KP/MN
By Email:
Re: Store Collective Grievance
Dear Ms. Ryan,
I hope this correspondence finds you well.
Over the past number of days Mandate Trade Union have been inundated with calls from Members employed in the Penneys, Swords Pavilions Store, with regard to excessive levels of heat and lack of an adequate air conditioning service throughout the Store. Furthermore, Mandate was informed that the Air Conditioning Unit, albeit inadequate, is not even turned on when our Members are working behind closed doors.
In an effort to ascertain the feedback of our wider Membership with regard to this matter the following text was disseminated to all Members in Penneys Swords asking them to digitally sign a Collective Grievance, if they were in agreement with the contents of same:
I wish to form part of a collective grievance lodged with my employer, through my union Mandate, with regard to the excessive levels of heat I am currently being expected to work in and I am calling on my employer to immediately put in place measures to reduce the temperature within the Store. Furthermore, I am calling on my employer to ensure that the Air Conditioning is turned on and performing at optimal levels at all times that the Store has staff rostered to work.
Despite the fact that the Online Grievance was only launched at 5pm on Tuesday 20th July, we have received over 100 signatures. This clearly demonstrates the level of discomfort being experienced by our Members during the course of carrying out their duties and it also clearly validates the need for the Company to immediately rectify the situation.
Given the fact that this is the second summer in a row that our Members have had to engage in the Collective Grievance Process with regard to the same issue, clearly demonstrates that the Air Conditioning System in place is inadequate and not fit for purpose during periods of warm weather.
Mandate, on behalf of the Members who have signed the Collective Grievance, are calling on Penneys to immediately address our Members concerns and put in place adequate measures to ensure that the excessive levels of heat are reduced. Whilst Mandate understand that a temporary measure may be required to rectify this issue, such as, the installation of Mobile Air Conditioning Units, it is quite evident that the issue has to be addressed long-term through the upgrading of the Air Conditioning Units on a permanent basis.
It would be appreciated if you could inform the undersigned, by return, of the measures to be implemented by the Company to rectify the concerns of our Members.
Finally, during this period of warm weather and in advance of the Company addressing the very pertinent concerns raised by our Members in this correspondence, I am requesting that the Company afford our Members extra comfort breaks from the Sales Floor to rehydrate.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or queries with regard to the contents of this correspondence.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
Keith Pollard
Divisional Organiser.
Cc: All Grievance Signatories