Arnotts Jobs To Go: Official

While jobs will flow from the construction of a €1 billion shop, apartment, restaurant and hotel complex that is expected to start later this year on the site of the existing Arnotts department store, some 580 jobs are to be lost when the existing store on Henry Street in Dublin closes.

The Northern Quarter scheme - which will include shops, 175 apartments, restaurants, bars and a hotel - is a three-year redevelopment and is to force the redundancies as Arnotts relocates to the Debenhams store in the Jervis Centre later this summer.

The current Boyers store on North Earl Street will then be converted to an Arnotts furniture and home store to open in August.

Overall, Arnotts department store currently employs 950, and while it says that staff numbers will rise to 1,200 when the new development is completed, workers are shocked at the number of job losses Arnotts wants by September.

Arnotts said it told staff of its plans at a meeting, and it is hoped most of the lay-offs will be voluntary.

But the Mandate union said it expected that most would be compulsory.

The union said this was a sad day for Arnotts and Boyers staff, and the Northern Quarter was coming at a huge cost.

(BMcC)