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Rallies of Debenhams workers have been held in Dublin and Limerick to mark 150 days since they were fired.
The workers must be put to a vote starting Wednesday on a possible solution to the dispute between them and the company.
They ask for what they say is a fair termination agreement from their employer.
Yesterday there was optimism that an agreement had been reached with the Mandate union that would release at least 1 million euros to pay additional severance payments for around 1,000 workers who have lost their jobs in the company’s 11 stores.
Ballots on whether to accept or reject the deal are scheduled to be sent to workers beginning Wednesday.
Maria Murphy, who worked at Debenhams on Henry Street for 20 years, said: “As there are almost a thousand employees, it works out in your hired hours and your service and it would come out at a couple hundred euros per person, which is an insult to the workers who built the name in this country. “
Aisling O’Gorman, who worked at the Debenhams store in Limerick, said: “I will be here as long as it takes, there is no way I will accept an affirmative vote.”
“For a 1 million euro ballot in 11 stores and more than 900 employees, it is not enough,” he added.
Debenhams workers said they were not involved in any potential resolution.
One of the organizers of the rally in Dublin, Carmel Redmond, said that “negotiations cannot take place without the shop stewards whom we vote to represent us.”
KPMG liquidators have said in a statement that while significant progress had been made in discussions with Mandate, an agreement had not yet been reached.
A number of questions remained to be resolved. KPMG added.
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