Retail chain Roches Stores plans to shed 250-300 full- and part-time jobs in the three branches where it intends closing its supermarkets.
The company recently announced that it planned to close the SuperValu-branded supermarkets in its Limerick branch and its Henry Street and Blanchardstown outlets in Dublin. It refused to say how many jobs would be lost as a result of the move.
The Irish Times learned yesterday that the company is seeking to make 250 workers redundant from the three branches. It has offered to redeploy up to 50 of the supermarket staff elsewhere in the three stores.
However, a spokesman for their trade union, Mandate, said last night it may not be possible for all workers to take up alternative posts in the three stores. Union and management representatives spent close to a week discussing the plans.
Mandate will be putting the proposals to its members in the Roches Stores branches later this week.
All Roches Stores supermarkets are SuperValu franchises. Grocery group Musgraves owns the brand. That company plans to open eight new SuperValu outlets around the State this year. Five will be located in Dublin.
Two of its new outlets in the capital will be opened at Aston Quay and North King Street. Musgraves has already indicated that it will advertise jobs in the new SuperValu stores directly to the Roches Stores staff facing redundancy as a result of the supermarket closures.
According to industry sources, Roches Stores is closing the supermarkets as it is unable to compete with German discounters Aldi and Lidl. One of Aldi's first outlets is on Dublin's Parnell Street, a couple of minutes walk from Henry Street. It is also competing with discounters in Blanchardstown and Limerick.
Musgrave has already said that its brands are continuing to grow market share, despite the discounters' presence.
Roches Stores has refused to comment on the issue since it first announced the closures two weeks ago.
In the statement announcing the closures, the chain said that it planned to expand its fashion and household divisions in the three stores.
Last year, popular Spanish label Zara opened a concession in the company's Henry Street branch. It also plans to open in Roches Stores' Blanchardstown branch.
However, Zara does not have any plans to open in the Roches Stores' Limerick branch. It recently emerged that the Spanish group planned to open its own store in the Dundrum Shopping Centre in Dublin.
A spokeswoman said last night said Roches Stores would not comment on its redundancy plans.
