SIPTU concerned by Waterstones restructuring plan

The announcement by the book retailer, Waterstones, that it has requested several employees to re-apply for positions at the company is a cause of concern for the workers involved and the wider industry, according to SIPTU Organiser, Graham Macken. He said: “The company has announced that the roles of 17 managers have become redundant under a restructuring plan. The managers affected have been asked to apply for new positions, which in their view are the same jobs in all but name. There are serious concerns regarding the assessment process and in particular, the fact that the so-called new positions are being advertised prior to the conclusion of the consultation process.”He added: “SIPTU has collective negotiation rights for the staff working in Hodges Figgis, which is owned by Waterstones, as a consequence of a previous transfer of ownership. However, SIPTU has no such collective negotiation agreement for the workers in Waterstones, in which the union only has a small number of members.“However, we would be happy to offer guidance to any Waterstones employee who has concerns with any aspect of the company’s restructuring process and their future job security. The only effective way in which the terms and conditions of employees in the book retail industry can be protected is to organise workers into the union.”