Thomas Cook staff in Ireland could go on strike over the proposed closures of two retail shops in Dublin.
Travel union TSSA sent ballot papers to its members on July 22 asking them to vote for or against industrial action. The ballot closes on July 31 and the proposed strike would take place a week later.
Earlier this month staff held demonstrations at the flagship store on Grafton Street, Dublin and outside Thomas Cook chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa’s church in Northampton.
Thomas Cook announced proposals in May to withdraw from Ireland, which means the closure of two Thomas Cook shops and one Direct Holidays store. However, only staff in the Thomas Cook stores are members of the TSSA union. The closures would lead to 77 redundancies.
TSSA representative Jessica Fenn said talks had been unsuccessful. She said: “The company has dismissed all proposals put forward by our reps. Members are furious and are now voting on whether to take action in an attempt to get some well deserved respect, and hopefully a decent reward for all their years of hard work.”
A Thomas Cook spokesman said: “Since we announced the proposed closures, we have continued to consult with staff and union representatives. During this time we have considered several alternatives and have offered severance terms that are considerably more than statutory redundancy pay.
“We are disappointed that the union has decided to ballot its members on industrial action rather than resolve the issue by continuing discussion.”
He added: “If any action does take place, our priority will be to ensure our customers can continue to contact us and collect urgent travel documentation where required. We continue to discuss issues with our staff and the union in an effort to reach a satisfactory conclusion to consultation.”